Grief
by Restrictors
Summary: A story of parallel earths. Dr. Erdel tries to bring the last surviving Martian from another universe to their world to keep his friend J'onn company. He inadvertently brings over his long dead wife, M'yri'ah who has lost her husband in her world. Everything seems like such a coincidence that J'onn cannot help but feel suspicious. Rated for later chapters.
1. Shock

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

A green skinned woman slept peacefully in a dim room, covered by a dusky colored blanket. She heard her phone chirp in the darkness. She reached blindly for it on the nightstand, cursing when it fell off and clacked hard onto the ground. By the time she retrieved it had gone silent. She dragged her finger across to open her phone just in time for the caller to try again. A red background filled the screen with a little yellow circle and lightning bolt. "Wally?" She croaked into the phone.

"Heyyyy girl." His familiar voice rang out in her ear.

She looked at the top of the phone to see the time before answering. "Wally it is 3 AM. What do you want?"

"I'm on monitor duty."

"Why would you be on monitor duty?" The man had the attention span of a gnat.

"Hey, ever since you took that sabbatical we've been rotating." He said quickly, trying to move the conversation along. "Whatcha doing?"

"I'm sleeping Wally."

"You can talk while sleeping? Neat. Anyway, I was thinking maybe you could come up here to talk a little."

"You mean do your work for you." She huffed, her groggy mind coming fully awake since it didn't seem the conversation was going to end anytime soon. "It's not much of a vacation if I show up to the watchtower."

"Nah, it's just so boring Mimi. You've got to come up here and keep me company… and help me with work of course."

"Of course." She grumbled.

"Hey, don't be like that. I totally got you covered. I got like… three types of nachos, a pizza or seven, tons of ice cream and those weird cookies you like so much." He tempted. "Plus I'll make you one of those fancy coffee drinks if you ask real nice."

That did actually sound kind of good. "I don't know…"

"If you don't I'll be emotionally devastated!" He wailed.

She allowed a short chuckle to escape her lips. "You are being a little dramatic don't you think?"

"Not really. This place is like… so boring. Also we haven't hugged in a couple months and that is just not right."

"You don't need me to hug you." She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Nah, but I think you need me to hug you." He said softly.

She flinched at that and decided to ignore the truth of his words. "You got that girlfriend remember? Don't you think she'll be jealous?"

"Of course not." His voice had slowed down considerably. "You haven't been down there sulking again haven't you? Have you even tried to go out and meet anyone yet?"

She could lie to him she supposed, but what was the point? "Not yet."

"Mimi…" He chided.

"I'm going out tomorrow." She said firmly.

She could hear him tsking into the receiver. "You're going out tonight."

"The watchtower is not going out."

"True." He finally relented. "But you need some socialization." He cooed. "Come up here. I can run around like crazy and you can try to make your skin plaid and hang upside down off the ceiling like a bat. We'll wreck up the place."

She probably wasn't going to get any more sleep anyway. She tossed the covers off of her and put her feet on the ground.

"Did I hear you get out of bed?" His voice perked up again.

"Yes."

Wally let out a whoop. "You won't regret this."

"I'm sure I won't." She got in a good stretch before heading to the bathroom.

"I'll send out a boomtube just outside town to pick you up."

What did he say? "A boomtube? Why not just use the transporter?"

"Because it's not as dramatic." Wally chirped. "Plus I wanted to try it out."

She paused at the bathroom door. There were just some things she wasn't going to remain on the phone for. "As soon as you stop talking I can get ready."

"Okay." He was quiet for maybe a second. "Oh and Mi?"

"What?" She grumbled.

"What are you wearing?" He had a sing song tone.

"Goodbye Wally."

"See you soon." He answered cheerfully as she pressed down on the red button to hang up.

* * *

After a quick shower she was in the air flying away from Central City. A tear in the sky formed up ahead which at first she assumed was the boomtube Wally produced. Suddenly she felt a pull from the portal ahead and it even started moving towards her. She tried moving away from it as soon as she realized something was wrong but it followed her relentlessly. "Wally!" She cried out. "Is that you?! Is that the boomtube?"

"Is what me?" She could hear Wally ask in her ear, his voice slightly concerned. "You are still miles away Mimi."

"It's following me." It was almost upon her.

"What's following you?"

Her eyes widened in panic as it felt like her body was being torn apart by the rush of light that consumed her. "He-!" Her voice was cut off suddenly.

"Mi…" Wally started, checking his ear piece to make sure it was still working. The signature from her cell and communicator disappeared abruptly. "Mi are you there?" A feeling of dread flowed through him as he reversed the flow of the boomtube to go down by Central City. He called in their friends to alert them to what had happened. He stood up and rushed to the portal. He had a horrible feeling he wasn't ever going to see his friend again.

* * *

Dr. Saul Erdel and his young friend and assistant Dr. Wilbur Mitchell watched his invention come to life.

"Now, you are sure it won't break this time?" Wilbur asked slowly. "It works right?"

"You helped me rebuild it."

"Yes, but this is your invention." Wilbur didn't like how he wasn't exactly being reassured by his colleague. He slapped his lab coat, a puff of dust making plums in the sunlight leaking in from the window. "And as cool as dying in a fiery ball of death sounds I would like to live at least a few more years."

"Yes yes." The older man smoothed out his mustache as he ran the final checks.

That seemed to be enough for Wilbur to momentarily forget his concern as he looked at the ring of machinery appreciatively. "This is just like stargate."

"What's that?" Dr. Erdel clucked his tongue at him. "At any rate, you need to step back a little."

"Oh yes." Wilbur moved to where his colleague stood. "I can't believe this is finally happening."

"Well I have you thank Wilbur. I would have never thought of bringing over someone from another universe entirely if you haven't mentioned it to me."

"Do you think your friend will be happy?" Dr. Mitchell asked nervously. "Is he coming today?"

"J'onn? Oh I didn't tell him about what I'm up to." He did ask him to come by later today though, just in case. He simply asked if he wouldn't want to visit his daughter's grave, J'onn hadn't stopped by in a long while. "I doubt he would approve." He said more to himself.

"I see." Wilbur pulled his protective goggles down over his eyes. "Well maybe he will once we bring a friend over." He looked at the control panel and located the signature of the Martian they located earlier. "This one looks like the best candidate, I've been watching her for weeks. She is the last of her kind in her world."

Dr. Erdel approved. "Good, we don't want to split up a family."

"If everything seems okay on your end I'll start." Dr. Mitchell urged.

"Let's get started then." His invention was pretty straight forward. Find the signature, make visible contact and then pull them through. "I see her."

"I'm turning on the teleporter now." They both watched as the ring of light absorbed the panicked Martian on the screen.

Dr. Erdel turned to Wilbur. "There will be a little delay, but she will be here soon. Try not to move too quickly, she might be disoriented."

"I'll bet." Wilbur nodded. "I'll let you handle her. You have the most experience with Martians." He yelped as a burst of light filled the room, followed by a loud tearing sound.

Mi was in mid-scream when she appeared suddenly. Her entire body trembled as she felt herself reform. She had to look down and check just to make sure she was all there. A man's voice interrupted her panicked thoughts.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Erdel. What is your name?" Erdel spoke in the Martian language J'onn had taught him to put her at ease, when she took a moment to answer he grew concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

Mi looked at the man at first, not sure what to make of her situation. Suddenly faint recognition dawned on her features. "You again?" She hissed at Erdel. Her clothes seemed to spring to life, strips of fabric wrapping her around her body like black snakes until she was completely covered from head to toe. A single particularly angry looking red eye peaked out from behind the shroud.

Only then did the two scientists notice she was carrying some wicked looking blades on her hips. She looked like she sorely wanted to use her weapons on them. Oh lord, not again! Dr. Erdel threw his hands up in surrender. "Please, I didn't mean any harm!"

The woman ran up to Saul and pulled him by his collar until they were nose to nose. "What is wrong with you? What do you want with me? Why do you keep bringing me here?"

"Nothing! I don't want to do anything with you." Dr. Erdel cried. "I've never brought you here before. This is the first time I brought you from a parallel world."

"Parallel world?" Mi felt a chill go up her spine. She tapped her ear a few times to see if her communicator would work. Nothing but static rang out on the other end. Oh God! Wally and her friends must be so worried. "Send me back." She demanded.

"I… I can't!"

"You brought me here with no way to return me home?!" Mi was starting to lose her temper. She resisted the urge to the shake the cowering man.

"He's right!" Wilbur cried out at her sudden movements, putting a desk between himself and the woman he perceived as a threat. "Please calm down. We brought you here for a friend."

"Brought me here?" She looked up to see Wilbur, the man with red hair. Wally? No, he was much older and looked a little different. "For a friend?"

"Yes." Dr. Mitchell turned white as a sheet when she set her sights on him. "A green Martian like you."

Her lips made a hard line, not that they could see it. "I am not some thing you can hand over to a friend." Her eye went back to Dr. Erdel.

"No, no, of course not." He squeaked.

"I'm glad you understand." Mi hissed. "Do not summon me here again." She released Dr. Erdel and he sank to the floor. "This is your last warning old man." She wasn't about to harm him, but she felt maybe if she rattled him he might get the hint and leave her alone once and for all.

She launched herself through the ceiling, angry enough to punch a hole through it rather than just phase her body and leave it undamaged. The man with the auburn hair made a shrill yelp, giving her the momentary satisfaction of scaring someone for wronging her.

"Dr. Erdel!" Wilbur ran to him and checked his older friend to make sure he was unharmed as part of the ceiling caved in around them.

"I'm fine." Erdel puffed, standing up with Dr. Mitchell's help. "That was a little disappointing." He let out a long breath of air to calm himself. "But at least she didn't seem completely unbalanced. She was just upset that we brought her here."

"This was not a success!" Wilbur cried, gesturing to the broken ceiling, which had fallen and crushed his friend's invention. "She is a lunatic." He didn't even see her hit the ceiling, she seemed to send some unknown force through it. It was terrifying.

"We don't know that yet." Dr. Erdel defended stubbornly.

"I'm sorry Dr. Erdel." Wilber pushed a trembling hand through his messy hair. He didn't want to argue. Part of him wished to stay and help but what could he really do? He looked positively green around the gills. "If you are good here. I would really like to return to my hotel."

"Of course Wilbur." Dr. Erdel agreed, a little surprised he wanted to depart so soon after such an event. "After such an experience you probably need to lie down."

"I do feel sick." Dr. Mitchell admitted.

"J'onn should be here soon." Dr. Erdel thought he would mention, he knew how excited his colleague had been to meet a Martian. Perhaps he would feel better if he met a friendly one to counteract the fright he just experienced. "Would you like to meet him?"

"No, I don't think I will." Wilbur said sadly. "I think I've had my fill of aliens for the day."

"I understand." Erdel nodded. "Please try not to think too badly of them. They are just a little different."

Wilbur snorted, that was an understatement. "Thank you. I'll be on my way." Dr. Erdel walked him to his red rental truck and watched him as he slammed his door shut.

"Drive safely." Erdel slapped the hood of his truck.

Wilbur was still visibly shaken. "If I don't get eaten on my way to town you mean."

"You'll be fine." Erdel waved him off, trying to figure out what he was going to say. He had a lot of explaining to do once J'onn arrived.

* * *

That had not gone well at all. "I hope you are not cross with me J'onn." Dr. Erdel followed dumbly behind the much larger man.

J'onn didn't even bother to look back at him. "Cross is too kind a word. I am livid."

Saul stifled a chuckle, never having seen the Martian actually display such an emotion before.

"This is no laughing matter." J'onn chided. "You unleashed yet another martian through the portal. One would think that after having your daughter attacked by D'kay you would maybe consider the repercussions before bringing a monster into the world." He paused before adding. "I'm starting to worry about you."

"This one didn't seem quite so unbalanced as D'kay though."

"You said she was carrying weapons." J'onn reminded. Martian bodies were already weapons in of themselves. Why she would need them he couldn't fathom.

"She didn't use them on me or my assistant Wilber."

J'onn snorted, as if that were any indicator.

Dr. Erdel did concede. "She was frightful looking though. Only one eye poking out of a bunch of black bandages. She looked like she was staring in one of them ninja films."

"She could have been too stunned to use her weapons against you." J'onn reasoned. "Going through your machine isn't the most pleasant experience."

"She didn't looked stunned." Dr. Erdel defended. "She looked like she knew what she was doing."

"Hm." J'onn wasn't so sure about that.

"I thought you would be happy." Dr. Erdel panted, trying to keep up with J'onn's much longer stride. "There is someone out there like you who isn't a total nut job."

J'onn finally spotted his daughters grave ahead in the clearing. It was a simple blank stone that he hadn't thought to engrave it in the human tradition. It had been so long since he had come. Even at his busiest he usually managed an annual visit to her grave site to place a flower or a toy on the rock. He couldn't believe he let three years slip past him. As they drew closer he was confused to find a shiny red apple, a little bottle of something to drink and a white envelope resting on top of it. "Saul?"

"Not mine." He threw up his hands.

J'onn snatched up the letter. It appeared to be addressed to him so he tore it open and read it.

"Looks like martian." Dr. Erdel pointed out, looking at the envelope. "That's your name right?"

"Yes." J'onn was confused by the letter. It was almost as if the writer believed that he himself had been entombed here.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense." Dr. Erdel prodded. "Who's it from?"

"M'yri'ah."


	2. Denial

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

"Well, don't keep me in suspense." Dr. Erdel prodded. "Who's it from?"

"M'yri'ah."

"Oh!" Saul started excitedly."Do you think that lady-?"

"No." J'onn quickly squelched any excitement he might have felt at reading the signature.

"But..."

"This wouldn't be the first time someone tried to use M'yri'ah against me." He grumbled. She had been dead for so long and yet his enemies found out about her and used it to their advantage. He had always been so desperate in the past for her to be alive. It didn't help that even now he dreamed about her, as if she were still here with him now.

"I guess so." Dr. Erdel consented. He let J'onn think what he wanted. He truly didn't believe the woman was as dangerous as he thought. She also was from another world entirely so revenge against J'onn was probably the last thing on her mind. If she even knew J'onn at all! "Does it look like her handwriting?"

"Yes, it is an amazing forgery." J'onn held up the letter to the sun before rubbing the pads of his fingers across the lettering, trying to trace it with his nail. The ink bled across the paper as he did so.

Dr. Erdel caught that as well. "Hey J'onn..."

"The ink isn't dry." J'onn looked around, there was nothing, no sounds for miles. He noticed smaller footprints in the dirt next to his own. "Hm."

"What is it?"

"Pardon me Saul. I must see to something."

"Of course." The elderly man scratched his balding head.

* * *

She was on foot, lucky for him. It made tracking her less difficult. She also wasn't trying to mask her presence and chose to walk at a leisurely pace and take in the scenery along the beaten path.

He stayed well enough behind her so she wouldn't be alerted. He wanted to get a good look at her well enough before he needed to intervene in any chaos she planned to wreak.

She wore a gold tone chain belt around her waist with black leather looking strips that weaved through the eyelets that seemed to bleed into the rest of her clothing. Some martian clothing device. Martians could clothe themselves with a thought, but sometimes they had functional items they wore even underneath their skin.

Dr. Erdel had been correct, the black fabric that wrapped around her did look a little like bandages, her green skin peeking out every so often from underneath them. It seemed her clothes could retreat though, as her head, neck, hands and feet were no longer wrapped up. He couldn't really see the heat from her body through the coverings either. Maybe heat or fire shielding? Quite smart, he would need to look into that.

In her hero form she wore hair and rounded her head out, much like his niece M'gann. They both seemed to go for a more human visage rather than going for a bald alien look he chose for himself. M'gann always said it made her look for friendly to humans. Rather than short and red hair, this woman wore hers long and platinum colored. He supposed it contrasted nicely on her light green skin. There was a black strip keeping it back out of her face.

Then there was a matter of those daggers. Also a martian design. It was unusual for a woman to possess them. Only priests carried them and they were mostly for ceremony. These were barbed and wicked looking things strapped to her hips, they had been sharpened and could only be used for killing.

She grabbed at a passing bush, pulling an errant twig off and began absently pulling the leaves off one at a time. Her visage changed suddenly, startling him. Her skin turned a cream color, her knives and armor bleeding into running clothes.

A couple passing by her was the reason for her sudden wardrobe change. He cursed silently to himself, had been so engrossed with staring at her he hadn't seen much else. He was truly lucky that she wasn't violent, or simply too engrossed in her thoughts to bother with them or they might have lost their lives due to his stupidity.

He weighed his decisions carefully. Did he simply go to her now and confront her? Or did he bide his time and see what she was up to?

As tempting as it was to be direct and to the point maybe he should hold back. If she knew he was aware of her she might act differently and be more guarded. If he stayed in the shadows for a while it might help him get a better idea of what she was about.

It was decided then. He would follow her for a while before going to her.

She finally came to rest by small lake under the shade of a tree. She completely abandoned her human guise, believing herself to be alone. He saw her face was flushed as if she had been crying recently. She tore out little blades of grass next to her as if trying to distract herself. It seemed she was losing the battle as a sob escaped her throat. She gathered her knees to her chest and wept. The faint yet familiar sound of her voice carried through the air to him. It nearly unseated him from his vantage point.

No! He grit his teeth, crushing down the urge to go to her.

He needed to remind himself of something straight away. This woman was not from this world. Even if she was a version of M'yri'ah it didn't mean she was his M'yri'ah.

She was, however, his responsibility now. Thank you Dr. Erdel. He thought with a frown.

* * *

Earlier M'yri'ah pushed through the canopy of trees as she escaped the building. She took a long deep breath. She was in another world? She reached into her left pocket and retrieved her cell phone. All the numbers were there but there was no signal and she couldn't call out. She tried her communicator one more time. Static. She pulled it from her ear to see if had been damaged. The earpiece seemed fine.

For a frightening moment she thought of the parallel world she traveled to with the League. J'onn had been among them. She had been so excited to see him at first, and he seemed rather surprised to see her too… but that didn't stop him from luring her into a trap and frying her in an electric room with the rest of her friends. It certainly didn't stop him from taking her prisoner and nearly beating her to death when she fought him.

She pushed such thoughts from her mind. It was unlikely that this was that world she visited. She imagined if that were the case she wouldn't have been able to simply leave the lab.

Her brain kicked into survival mode. What did she have with her? She landed on the ground some distance away from the lab. She only took a small bag with her, not believing she would be gone long. Just a little money, identification, an apple with a sticker still on it, a tiny energy drink, League cards, a pen, paper and an envelope. Oh yes, she was going to write J'onn a letter and put it on his grave.

"His grave." She said aloud. It was in these woods. She wondered...

When she came upon that cursed rock the gravity of her situation came crashing down on her. "J'onn." The rock she buried him under was right there. A sob escaped her throat before she could stifle it. She realized only now she hadn't said his name aloud since he died. "Oh god."

It had been so hard to lose her friends and family on Mars. It nearly killed her when J'onn had died. Now her friends Wally… Diana and countless others. Would she ever see them again?

M'yri'ah tried to keep herself together but it just wasn't working. She began pacing back and forth trying to gather the strength not to cry. She went on autopilot for a while. She sat down stupidly and wrote a hasty note to her dead husband, putting her only food on his grave before trudging away blindly.

She passed a couple and gave them a short wave to let them know she was alright.

She didn't even really look where she was going and suddenly found herself at a lake without really knowing how she got there. "Oh J'onn!" She stopped in her tracks suddenly. "What am to do? I am so alone." She buried her face into her hands and just let herself grieve.

* * *

The two men stared at the broken ceiling blankly. There was a blue tarp over the hole in the roof, flapping in the breeze. Dr. Erdel was the first to break the silence with a curse.

"I'm sure it will be alright." Wilbur tried to comfort Dr. Erdel suddenly. "She seemed... nice?"

"You do not have to lie to me Wilbur." Saul wasn't fooled for a moment. "J'onn is pretty upset at me. I'm not sure if we are still on speaking terms."

"I'm sure you did the right thing for your friend." Wilbur pushed back his goggles over his hair. "Her name is M'yri'ah? And now you are saying that's his mate or wife or whatever they call them right?"

"Well, that was his wife's name yes." Dr. Erdel never mentioned her to Wilbur before because it was a sore spot for J'onn and the young man was always so curious he might mention her and upset his friend. "He loved her very much and J'onn has a hard time letting go of the people he cares about." Or maybe it was just her and their daughter. "This was just a bit of bad luck. I didn't mean to bring M'yri'ah over." He scratched his head.

"Sorry, I thought her name was Mimi." Dr. Mitchell scratched his unruly hair. "At least that's what she was called all the time."

"It's alright Wilbur, I'm not blaming you."

"Well this is a good thing right?" Wilbur encouraged. "Maybe everything will turn out right and this will make him happy."

"I don't know."

Dr. Mitchell seemed to be weighing something on his mind. "Well, if it won't make him happy then maybe we should think about rebuilding your machine?"

"Rebuilding?" Dr. Erdel wondered how he could think of such a thing.

"If your friend isn't happy about our new guest, wouldn't it be kinder to send her back where she came from? There might not be another green martian in her world but it seemed like she was kind of happy there."

Dr. Erdel hadn't thought of that. "Yes, perhaps that would be for the best."

Wilbur fell silent and got a far away look in his eyes, Dr. Erdel believed maybe he was trying to remember something. "Holy smokes!"

"What?!"

"I... I completely forgot about my plane. Oh man!" He looked positively stricken.

"What do you mean Wilbur?" Dr. Erdel shook his head. "You can't leave me now. Why did you get a plane ticket?"

"Well, I wasn't supposed to still be here!" Wilbur hissed, angry at himself. "Remember this experiment was supposed to be over two days ago. I need to catch my plane back to Central City."

"Hurry up then." Erdel sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll be back." Wilbur tossed off his coat. "I just need to get back to the office for a while. I've used up all my vacation days out here with you."

A thought occurred to Dr. Erdel. "Well, be on the look out for our guest. She came from there remember."

Wilbur stopped short. "Oh yeah. Yes! I'll look for her there. I'll give you a ring if I notice anything."

"It might be difficult or impossible to spot her though, remember they can blend in really well."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Wilbur nodded. "Goodbye my friend, until we meet again."

"Until we meet again." Erdel agreed.

* * *

M'yri'ah was starting to feel a little unnerved as she made her way to Central City from Colorado. It was like someone was following her. She stopped several times to look around but found nothing. Perhaps her paranoia was getting the best of her.

Hundreds of miles flew past below and it seemed to take forever in the silence of the night… but there it was in the distance: Central City. It's familiarity rang within her and she brought up her speed.

M'yri'ah landed just outside of town and donned her human appearance. She went with blonde hair and amber eyes this time. This human visage looked most like her original form and it was her favorite. She did love changing her coloring up though. Maybe tomorrow she would have blue eyes and brown hair.

There was the familiar sound of crunching shoes on the wet pavement as she wound around the sidewalks.

Everything seemed like it was sent back in time a decade or so. M'yri'ah saw shops she knew had been closed down for years. That was assuming the flow of time was exactly the same. Maybe she had arrived the same year she left, but things were a little warped.

Crunch. Crunch.

She made her way to her apartment building if it was even there in this world, no small task considering she was only allowed to walk at a human's pace and she had no money for the bus or train.

Crunch. Crunch.

She passed a small pastry shop with small smile on her lips. Central City Bakery. That's where Wally introduced her to those cookies she loved so much. They were chocolate and almond and the size of her fist. She usually only ate one while Wally stuffed the rest of the dozen in his face.

She was really going to miss him.

Crunch crunch… The same shoes at the same stride.

Something was starting to bother her about that sound. M'yri'ah decided to take a short detour from her destination. It wouldn't do if she led whoever was following her to her old home. When she was completely sure that they would be alone, she turned around suddenly. No one was there.

What in the hell was wrong with her? Was she hearing the sound of her own footsteps echoing off the buildings?

"I just needed to go home." M'yri'ah let out a calming breath. Maybe if she went somewhere familiar things would start feeling better and she wouldn't be jumping at every sound or shadow. She could make a plan of action. Maybe someone in this world could send her back home. Until then she needed to get settled in for the long haul. It wouldn't be the first time she had been dumped unceremoniously into an unfamiliar land.

When M'yri'ah finally came upon her building she was in shock. It looked so new! She cut down an alleyway so she she could camouflage herself and fly up to the third floor.

The hall lights were working. The floor boards also didn't pull up while she walked through the hall. She finally came to a stop at her apartment door.

She passed through and found herself in almost complete darkness. It was still early in the evening so if someone lived here they would probably be here by now. It was empty.

With a studio apartment she couldn't keep much, but what she had collected was now far from her reach. Thank goodness she had given Wally a key. He could at least get some of her more important things out and maybe save them for her if she ever got back.

She began wondering. If J'onn's grave was the same place in this world. Maybe Wally still lived next door to her too? Maybe if she explained what happened he would know how to help her.

She stepped through her own wall into his living room. He had a bigger home than she did, but not by much. He had two small rooms one by the front and in the back and a small kitchen and living area just as you walked in the door.

She was startled by what she saw. This apartment was a mess, obviously Wally didn't live here. He always kept his apartment neat and tidy except for the occasional standy of himself. She supposed he might have a touch of narcissism. God, there were papers every where, a sink full of dishes and the oven top had long since needed to be cleaned. There was a tray full of mail on the island of the kitchen. She snatched up a letter and read aloud. "Dr. Wilbur Mitchell."

"Hello?" A voice came from the back room. "Is somebody there?"

She cursed herself for not being more careful. It was night so of course a human would be home right now. It was so dark in here she was sure with her camouflage she could hide from Dr. Mitchell if needed.

Wilbur appeared in the room suddenly, his eyes blinking in the darkness but he seemed to be fixated on her location. She almost panicked. Could he see her? She pressed herself into the wall. She didn't dare move anymore or phase through the wall, afraid that the distortion from her camouflage would catch his eye and he might investigate.

He reached for the light switch, cursing when the bulb blew out just as he turned it on. "Hello?" He called again, reaching out blindly.

She turned her nose until her cheek hit the wall, his hand was centimeters from her face.

"No." He sighed, letting his hand fall to his side. His breath came out in a puff of air, disturbing her hair. "Nothing is there." He told himself. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Now with that bit of fun out of the way, cigarette break."

When he turned to go out onto the patio M'yri'ah slipped into her old apartment. Okay, definitely not Wally even though they looked similar.

She sat down on the living room carpet, and lied down on her side. Starting tomorrow she would need to find a job. For now she just needed some sleep. It had been an awful day.

* * *

**Author's notes: If you haven't guessed yet this story is mostly go into be from M'yri'ah's perspective. I've read a bunch of stories about Manhunter falling in love with other women from another universe (which are good by the by). Even watching the crisis movie he falls in love with Rose. Why hasn't anyone thought of him going to another universe to meet another version of his wife?**


	3. Guilt

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

It had been a week since she tried to find work. It was difficult when the identities she had cultivated over the years suddenly went up in smoke. She was trudging back home, feeling a little defeated. Those damn feet echoed in her head again. The same pace, the same hard heel as before. There were so many people around her she couldn't tell who it was.

Someone must be following her or she was going crazy.

Were they just following her through the train station or all the time? She started to hear the steady tap everywhere she went.

M'yri'ah stopped and willed her heart to stop beating so fast and calm down.

She wondered if she would ever feel safe again.

* * *

M'yri'ah woke with a groan. The room was so dark and there was no bed to sleep on. It was starting to get to be a bit much to be alone with her thoughts. She just needed to take a small walk and get some fresh air. Almost without thinking her molecules separated and she passed blindly through the front door.

"M'yri'ah?" A man's voice boomed out into the faded lights of the hallway.

She flinched at the sound of her own name.

"It's you right?" She heard heavy footsteps shuffling her way. When her eyes lifted up from the door she saw a tall, broad shouldered man. She could tell he was rather slender underneath his sooty lab coat. He had short auburn hair, pushed back by the strap of a pair of goggles resting atop his head. A crop of freckles dusted his nose and across his cheeks, making him look like he was blushing. "M'yri'ah?" He shifted a white file box he was carrying to his hip to free up a hand. "Don't you remember me? I was in the lab with Dr. Erdel. My name is Wilbur." When she didn't answer right away he asked a little more loudly. "M'yri'ah?"

"Stop saying my name." She hissed. "How did you recognize me anyway? How do you know my name?"

He stared at her incredulously. "Um... you walked through the door rather than open it? And as for your name, Dr. Erdel found the letter you left on that rock for your husband."

He caught her! She felt blood rush to her face in embarrassment. She began sputtering.

"Did you forget your key?" He asked, ignoring her muttering. He looked at the door frame behind her. "I can't believe we are in the same building. I'm neighbors with a for real life Martian." He did a little dance, all smiles. "I can't wait to tell my friends."

She gaped at him. "What? You can't do that!"

"Of course I'm not." He had a nice jovial laugh. "I'm just teasing. Lighten up will you?"

"Lighten up?"

"Well aren't you going to show me your apartment, neighbor?" He tapped her door with his foot. "I'll buy you a housewarming gift. Oh, are you having a party?"

A slow smile threatened to spread across her lips. He really did remind her of her friend Wally with his quick fire questions. "No, I'm not." Her gaze darted away. "Actually I don't have a key."

"What do you mean?" He looked at her and at the door once more. "Why don't you have a key?"

Here we go. "I don't actually own the apartment."

He stared at her accusingly. "So you're like... squatting?"

"I guess that is the word yes." She brought her gaze back to his. "It's only until I can get a job."

"That's stealing!" He accused. "No, no. That will never do." He grabbed her hand in a firm grip. "No. You can stay in my apartment for now. Tomorrow you can sign a lease."

She was actually a little surprised at his strength and that he was able to drag her a few feet before she planted her feet firmly on the ground. "Thank you, but I cannot accept."

He turned around. "So stealing a room is better?"

"I can't sign a lease with no money or a job." She tried to explain slowly.

"Well, all you have to do is ask." He said matter of fact. "You can work for me." He released her wrist so he could place a hand over his chest.

"You?"

"Yes, well... for me and my colleagues but mostly me. I need an assistant to keep me organized." He shifted the box he held from one his to the other.

"What makes you think I'm organized?"

"You're a Martian aren't you?" He asked, as if that made all the sense in the world. "Dr. Erdel says that his Martian friend was very good at this sort of thing."

"Isn't that stereotyping?"

He placed his free hand on his hip. "Do you want the job or not you dirty hobo?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, I'll try not to joke too much." He gestured in a good natured sort of way. "I could really use the help. Plus you need the help? You know, pay it forward. Plus I'm nerding out that I have a Martian in my building and could actually have one work for me."

"Alright," She looked a little surprised at how impulsive he was being at hiring someone he had been previously afraid of. It seemed it was all water under the bridge. "I'll take the position. Thank you for your generosity."

"I promise I won't tell anyone about the real you." He held up his hand in an oath. "I swear on this stack of papers that I should have filed months ago."

"Oh dear lord." She wrinkled her nose.

"You should see my office." He joked in a deadpan sort of way. "No seriously, wait until you see it. You will probably quit tomorrow."

She wouldn't tell him that she already saw the state of his home but she could only hazard a guess about what his work area might look like. "Okay." She stifled a laugh.

"Come on," He snatched up her wrist again. "Come to my apartment I have a spare room, electricity, running water that stays hot for like fifteen minutes before it gets cold..." He began walking to his door once more with her in tow.

"I don't know if that would be appropriate." She tried dislodging herself from his grip again.

"Because I'm a man?" Wilbur turned to her a second time. "Don't worry, I mean you are super strong. You could beat me to death by flicking me right?"

"Perhaps."

"See? You have nothing to worry about. Plus I'm a good little boy. Scouts honor."

She was starting to wonder about him. "You are strong yourself."

"Yeah I guess, but nothing like Superman, right?" He tittered. "Dr. Erdel told me about you guys, that you are really strong and can shift shapes and stuff. He knows everything about you."

She was a little taken aback by that. "Everything?"

"Well all he knows about you. Which isn't much really I guess now that I'm thinking of it." He spoke so vaguely, scratching his chin before continuing. "Yeah I guess I'm stronger than the average human. I'm sorry, did I hurt you pulling on you like that?"

"Well no." She would put the other questions she had for him on the back burner for now. "If you aren't human what are you?"

"Oh I'm still a human. I guess I'm what you would call a metahuman. I'm not really all that strong though. Not enough to actually join the League or anything. Plus I'm more into the sciences myself. I kind of got an inappropriate power for my skill set if you ask me."

"I see."

He suddenly had a very serious look on his face. "Look, I get that you might be a little worried. I mean, I am devastatingly handsome and I could understand if you felt like you couldn't keep your hands off me if I invited you into my home."

She choked back a laugh.

"I'll just leave you to your pitch black apartment with no food or running water and have fun next door... All by myself."

"Fine." She relented. "I will join you."

"Yes!" He shouted triumphantly, dropping his box of papers, scattering them across the floor. "You see this is how a friendship starts Mi. Can I call you Mi?" He didn't wait for her answer. "Now let's go watch some reality TV."

* * *

"Oh my." She felt Wilbur's hand snake around her shoulders.

"I knew you would love it." He gestured to the stacks of books and papers littering his office.

Where did it all go? Where there enough drawers and bookshelves to contain this catastrophe. "Are you serious?"

He put his hands on his hips. "I told you I needed help Mi."

"You need a steam shovel."

He barked a laugh. "Okay. I'll be in meetings all day so you can get familiar with my office." He checked his watch.

"Alright."

"And here's the thing about your pay... You are kind of an illegal alien so I'm gonna have to pay you out of pocket."

"What?"

"Just until we figure out something." Wilbur soothed. "I don't tend to think things through. Don't worry though, you will definitely have that dirty apartment next door to me by the end of day or else my name isn't Dr. Wilbur Mitchell."

"Thank you Dr. Mitchell."

"Aw! Don't call me that. Call me Wilbur or Wally if you like."

"Wally?" She asked. "I can do that."

"Wally it is then. My mom and dad always called me that." He announced proudly. "You know, a term of endearment for their most dearest son."

"Of course." She agreed, gathering a stack of papers and trying to make sense of their order.

"I was their favorite." He boasted. "But also their only son."

"I gathered that." She half ignored him. "Don't you have a meeting to be in right now?"

He cursed under his breath. "Yup, I am. Please excuse me my lady." He left the room but not before tripping over a pile of books. "Whoop. Sorry, sorry."

* * *

Another day at the train, another day she heard those damn footsteps. Wilbur offered to accompany her home today but she said she would be fine. She wasn't sure if there was much he could do anyway.

It had been weeks now that she felt something or someone following her. She sat down on a bench in the train and reached out with her mind again. And again she felt something familiar. For the first few days she could feel their curiosity at seeing her then it soon became routine or ritual like to see her in the morning.

She might not have let it go on as long as it did if she wasn't sure they had no malicious intentions. Just simple observation seemed to be the goal.

Still… she should probably look into it.

* * *

The room looked so different now that she had a few comforts to call her own. A bed, a chair and a few dishes.

M'yri'ah turned out the lights and listened to the noises from the city and thought about old times.

It was frustrating, starting over again. Granted it was much easier for her than most other people. She could be anyone she liked and pick up talents quite easily. She didn't have much before, but having a roof over her head and her tiny apartment had been enough. She even had a tiny balcony to sit on at night and look at the stars.

She even had a couple of trinkets from Mars that she took with her, things she had carried with her from the burnt down husk a home. She always carried a small toy her boys played with that her husband had brought home from a trip. It projected a little space ship onto the ceiling and would float around and change color every so often. They would stare up at it for hours, mesmerized.

Her thoughts drifted to her sons. Every night J'onn came home they would race towards him so excited to see him, practically shouting at him to be heard over the other. He would always patiently listen to them until they were finished and ran off to play in their rooms before bed. On his days off he would often read to them, take them places, sing to them to sleep. In short, he had been a wonderful father to them. Their short lives had been filled with so much love and promise... And then it was all over.

Their children had been in their room napping on the bottom floor. She and her husband had only just stepped out onto the balcony for a few moments of privacy when they saw something strange light up the sky. A moment later a bomb had torn through their home, it had thrown her and J'onn from the observatory onto the ground below before it fell in on itself, crushing their children inside under a pile of rubble and fire.

The only comfort M'yri'ah ever took was that they never woke up. They didn't suffer. She didn't feel any pain or fear from them in those final moments, they simply ceased to exist.

Her poor husband had to practically drag her around for weeks in a war zone. She had felt so broken and numb. She finally came out of her stupor when she heard J'onn quietly weep beside her one night. His whole body shook, his hand placed over his mouth to keep from crying out into the darkness. She murmured to him, stroking his head and neck to sooth him. He clutched her so tightly to him that she could hardly breath, but she didn't complain. He had been strong for her. She would try to be strong for him.

M'yri'ah fought along his side for centuries. She only now realized that they had spent most of their married lives fighting a war together than in peace. There were so few Martians left, everything started to seem completely hopeless.

And one night he was oddly quiet, guarding his words and even his thoughts from her. She had believed that he merely wished for some privacy and wanted to retreat within himself as he had a habit of doing.

She had no idea what he had been planning for her.

J'onn took her away to a private place and made love to her slowly and deliberately. Murmuring into her ear how much he loved her. She knew he was saying goodbye, perhaps believing this final battle would be the end of them all. She knew it very well might be and echoed his words.

The last thing she remembered him saying to her was, "I'm sorry." She never got to ask why. His eyes glowed brightly and she saw a flash of light before everything went dark.

M'yri'ah woke up to an alarm going off overhead. Her eyes cracked open just in time to see a body of water rushing forward. She jumped to action, realizing she was about to crash. She could barely ponder where she was before the ship smashed into water, her whole body snapping back and forth like a rag doll in her chair until the energy from the landing finally dissipated.

She removed her belt before she stood up on wobbly legs. Her body was so weak from hunger and thirst that she thanked the gods for the boost of energy from the adrenaline pumping through her. The bag she had always carried on Mars was already slung around her shoulder. She gave the tiny cockpit a quick glance before she became transparent and shot through the water to the surface and observed where she had landed. Earth.

M'yri'ah would spend more time on Earth than she ever had with her husband back on Mars. It had been terribly lonely. All she had left were those trinkets, a few supplies and little recording of her husband telling her what he had done. He knocked her out, stuffed her into a ship that he managed to steal and keep secret from everyone and sent her on her way to earth. He said he was sorry for his deception and he hoped to see her again one day. He finished by telling her that he loved her. She played it over and over until the recording broke.

She had been so angry with him for so long. How could he do that to her? How could he send her away? She wanted to die at his side, not in this unfamiliar land.

Centuries came and went without a word from him. She wasn't very surprised. How could he get to her anyway? J'onn for all his knowledge wasn't a rocket scientist. What ship could he use to get here? The ship she came in was beyond repair and at the bottom of the ocean.

So she waited and waited. Finally she decided to end her loneliness and join human society rather than living on the outskirts.

Even with human friends around her, she was still alone. No one would ever know the real her. She would never see her husband or again know the joys of motherhood.

And then M'yri'ah met the members of the Justice League. Her first friend she met in Central City. Wally West. She wouldn't know his true name for a long time but he was the first to befriend her. Then she met the others... And she could be herself again.

And then the Imperium came... and J'onn. She closed her eyes. It was all her fault.

But at least they stopped the invaders there on Earth. She didn't know if she had the heart to watch them destroy yet another world if they had failed.

M'yri'ah felt her eyes grow heavy with sleep.

How many times would she have to start over again?

* * *

It was such a dangerous game she was playing. Instead of going into the train station her usual way she decided to circle around the building, making sure whoever followed her in the station itself didn't see her approach. She didn't usually hear the footsteps until she was in the station so maybe she could catch them unaware.

M'yri'ah sat at the corner of the building and waited and watched everyone go by. There was only one person in particular that was really standing out to her. A rather large man in a powder blue button down shirt with khaki slacks. He was busy making himself look busy reading a newspaper.

Ah, there you are.

He was sitting on the large bench to the left of the station entrance. When the time came and went for her to show up he seemed more concerned with where she was than maintaining his cover. His neck was craned up towards the street. He checked back at the sidewalk often and then back up at the clock tower, obviously confused by her lateness.

He stood up abruptly and began walking to the right of the station. M'yri'ah decided to follow him at a distance. She had worn soft shoes this morning rather than her regular footwear, thinking he might pick up on her heels the same way she heard his hard souls. A strange hot sick feeling rushed through her body when she realized he was making a beeline to her apartment building. It was worse than she thought.

What she did next, she wasn't sure if she was being stupid or brave. She began walking at a faster pace and closed the distance between the two of them. As she got closer she could tell that he picked up on the sound of her feet and was startled when she bumped his shoulder to rush past him. She glared back at him as she walked up the steps to her apartment building. He knew he had been caught, and his parting shot to her was a chilling smile before she disappeared through the door.

* * *

**Author's notes: I swear to God I hate typing out M'yri'ah's name. I got her name wrong for the first nine chapters! I typed out My'ria'h instead. Yay for fixing that mess.**

**M'yri'ah is obviously from the JL and JLU cartoon I grew up on and I'm trying to borrow J'onn from the comics and movies (God there are so many).**


	4. Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

J'onn sat on his bed and rubbed his thumb across the hurried lettering again. "J'onn, I don't have much time, but I miss you and I love you. M'yri'ah." He read to himself. He had received a second letter in the mail, forwarded from Dr. Erdel. It had shown up on K'hym's grave just as the first one had. There was some water damage, it had rained before Erdel had found the note. It was hardly legible but he could tell it was longer than the first. A few words stuck out him though. "I am afraid."

He put the letters in his nightstand. He leaned back into his bed and allowed himself to feel an inkling of hope.

J'onn had been so surprised that M'yri'ah got the drop on him. She let him have it too, barreling into him like that. From her thoughts and actions he could tell she was a real spitfire. He was more amused than anything that she finally caught him, but when he smiled at her she looked terrified. He could hardly blame her. She had no idea who he was or why he was following her. He supposed it was time to reveal himself to her. It wouldn't do to drive her to attack him out of fright.

She was definitely M'yri'ah. Not the one he knew of course, but someone from a very different world than he was used to. He had been particularly surprised at how she even recalled things in her mind. She didn't think so much in pictures but in words when she thought of a memory. He might get a picture of a particularly vivid memory of hers, but it was very seldom. Maybe that was how Martians communicated in her world.

He would wait a while longer before going back. It would give her a few weeks peace. He had things he needed to get caught up on anyway.

* * *

Over a month had gone by and her little apartment was starting to look more like a home. Wilbur gave her some of his furniture, all of which she had to reupholster for it to not look completely disgusting. He would ask her jokingly for his furniture back each time he saw the changes she made.

She was just enjoying a novel her neighbor had lent her when something caught the corner of her vision. It was a white bug with broad wings, flapping its heart out. It came upon her so fast she didn't have a chance to really get a good look at it. She hadn't meant to let out such a startled cry but it left her throat before she could stifle it.

A loud bang shocked her out of her momentary fright.

"What is it?!" Wilbur had kicked the door off its hinges. He ran around her apartment trying to find the invisible foe. If she hadn't been so shocked he looked rather comical, coming in expecting to fight off anyone with a rolled up newspaper.

She didn't imagine he was going to be amused when he realized she had just been startled by a bug. "It was just that Wilbur." She said, pointing to the white winged creature that had decided to land on the wall.

He looked at her as if she were the stupidest person in the world. "It's a moth."

"Yes, I know."

He stared at her for a full minute until his eyes narrowed at her. "That is what you were screaming about?" He asked incredulously. "What are you? A child?" He brought his newspaper down on the moth and it fluttered dead to the floor.

She couldn't believe he killed it just like that. "I'm sorry Wally, but it startled me!" She countered, starting to match his anger. "Besides, how was I to know that you could hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you!" He shouted angrily. "Are you deaf? I can hear everything through these walls!"

Of course he could. "I'm sorry Wilbur."

"You should be, you scared me half to death! You have a crazy person following you around and you won't even let me drive you to work." Dr. Mitchell stared at his handiwork on her front door. "Damn it." He ran a frustrated hand through his auburn hair. "I'll fix your door."

"No, it is alright. I will replace it." She lowered her voice, trying to disarm him.

"No, no." He was starting to calm down now. "I'm sorry. I was just scared for you."

"Well, thank you for coming to my rescue."

"Heh, if you need any spiders smashed." He tapped his newspaper to his palm and turned to leave just as abruptly as he came in. "I'm sorry." He tripped over the broken door. "I'll just go make that call."

* * *

"Wally, stop following me."

"You are not getting on that damn train again without me." Wilbur trailed behind her.

She quickened her pace trying to get ahead of him but he was able to keep up with her easily. "You are acting crazy."

"You are acting crazy going back to a place where someone is stalking you."

She stopped to confront her friend. "Wilbur, I haven't seen him in weeks. Besides, he knows where I live so it really doesn't matter if he follows me to work does it?"

He looked positively flustered with her.

"I know you are just looking out for me but really I'm fine. He's just a regular man. He can't do anything."

"I guess." He looked like he was about to argue with her some more when a peculiar sound caught his ears.

The both of them nearly jumped out of their skin when a burst of fire came from an adjoining street.

"What the hell is that?!" Wilbur cried out, grabbing ahold of M'yri'ah in fright. A man in white and yellow appeared around the corner and with him a small crowd of civilians tripping on themselves to get away from him.

M'yri'ah was quick to notice that Wilbur was holding her shoulders, keeping her grounded on the spot and placing her between himself and danger. Maybe he didn't realize what he was doing, but she supposed it didn't matter. Fire was fire. If the two of them didn't get out of the way soon there wasn't going to be much of them left. She managed to dislodge Wally from her just in time for the man in white to notice them. She slid her arm around Wally's middle. "Going up!" She announced before sending them skyward. She felt the heat of the fire nipping at her feet and then her belt sprang to life and surrounded her body to protect her.

"What is that?" Wilbur shouted into her ear, obviously frightened when the belt's straps began to rub against him.

She knew it wasn't a pleasant sensation. It felt something close to having living snakes slither up and down your body. "It's just my uniform." She soothed, placing him on a nearby rooftop.

Wilbur stepped away from her quickly, eyeing her outfit before he let out a sigh of relief. "You saved me." He then rushed forward and practically crushed her in a hug.

Not very strong my foot! She thought with a groan. A fireball burst in their general direction from the streets below. "Not yet I haven't." M'yri'ah pushed him off of her. She needed to stop the crazed man before he burned the whole city to the ground. "Wally, go run to safety. I'll take care of him."

"Okay." Wilbur didn't argue with her and took off to find the stairs.

M'yri'ah mentally prepared herself to face off with the man below. Fire and Martians didn't generally mix well. Even being too close to a small fire that human's might use to warm themselves could make a Martian weak and sick. This man was carrying around a flame thrower so that didn't bode well for her. Her armor could block out most of the heat and keep her skin and body together, but it didn't negate the weakening she felt nor the fear or nausea. Her armor also kept her from transforming, which handicapped her in another way. It was a necessary evil in this case.

"No one escapes from Heat Wave!" The man shouted up at her, obviously her little flying stunt hadn't gone unnoticed by him.

M'yri'ah hazarded a glance down below. For a moment she tried to figure out what on earth she was supposed to do with him. She couldn't exactly get in close with him and try to take his weapon. She also couldn't fathom how to fight him long range. While she was quick she didn't have the Flash's speed to avoid being burnt to a crisp. She groaned, the longer she waited with him sending flames all over the city the worse it was going to get. She already felt her body betraying her.

Did Wally ever mention him before? The Flash had never asked for her help with this particular rogue before so she couldn't recall. But of course he wouldn't. She supposed he would never call for a hand with a deranged man with a gun that shot fire.

A water tower above her on the same rooftop caught her eye. That will work.

Heat Wave could see M'yri'ah from the not too tall building above. Her skin had changed from a pale peach to green since she was on the ground. The way she was flinching away from flames that were far enough away to not bother a normal human told him all he needed to know. "Aww, look what we have here." He taunted. "I always wanted to go toe to toe with a Martian." He let loose another blast from his gun just over her head. He probably wouldn't need to score a direct hit against her to kill her. "You know, I've heard you Martians go up like thermite. Any truth to that?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out." M'yri'ah said from her cover. She could hear him readying his weapon. She took in a deep breath and focused on the water tower nearby. She began pulling the bolts out of the stilts from the tower with her mind, bending the beams and dragging it forward until she heard a loud snap of metal. She had foolhardily not stepped out of the way and there was a rush of water that sent her off the rooftop and onto the man bellow.

The ceasefire was only momentary however because by the time Heat Wave stood up he was soaked and shaking with rage. He spotted her not a few meters away. "You think that'll save you?!" He screamed.

M'yri'ah managed to duck behind the corner of a brick building just in enough time to miss the flames rushing past. Okay, that obviously didn't work, she thought with a panic. Suddenly flames enveloped her. She gasped before shielding her exposed eye with her arm. The wraps of her suite went warm then almost hot. She sagged to the ground just when she felt her strength had all but left her.

Heat Wave had rounded the corner. Feeling confident, he balled his hand into a fist and hit her as hard as he could across the jaw. Her body made a satisfying thud as she landed on the ground some ways away. "I guess you Martians aren't so tough after all."

"We'll see." M'yri'ah groaned, standing up. She had to shield her eye again as he shot her with the flame gun again. She couldn't get her body to cooperate with her. She needed to move, fly away, shift, anything to get away from this man but her body seized up on her.

"I don't think we'll have long." He snickered at her crumpled form, lifting his gun in the air.

M'yri'ah took the pause in action to snatch up the blades from her belt. Willing her body to move, she finally managed to rush toward him.

"Pretty dumb to bring a knife to a gunfight lady." Heat Wave barked a laugh as he lifted his weapon to her, which he perceived to be for the last time. "Goodbye."

M'yri'ah felt the metal of her blades go hot in her hand but she didn't dare let go. She let out a roar before slashing out at him. The alien metal made short work of his weapon, cutting it in half. Unfortunately the gun also exploded and sent the two of them into the buildings behind them.

J'onn had arrived just in time to see the explosion. He felt momentary panic until he saw the two stand up under their own power.

"You'll never take me alive." Heat Wave shouted at her, not looking too worse for the wear. Obviously he wore flame retardant clothes as well.

M'yri'ah would roll her eyes if they didn't hurt so badly from all the heat she just endured. Why did they always say that? "Suit yourself."

J'onn recognized the familiar curves of M'yri'ah's body, even under all those coverings. He noted with some amusement that she reminded him of an Egyptian mummy. A single red eye was exposed and glowing as she bore down on her enemy with those two knives of hers. He imagined her aesthetic choices were to frighten whoever she was fighting. Her guise did look disturbingly familiar, he was having a hard time placing it.

M'yri'ah plucked up her blades from the ground where they had fallen from the explosion. She moved to stand over her fallen enemy. "Get ready." She raised her arm up over her head, her knife high in the air.

Heat Wave lifted his hands defensively. "W-wait!" He cried.

J'onn couldn't believe what he was seeing. The man was completely defenseless and she was about to land a killing blow on him. He felt such a rush of disappointment flow through him.

M'yri'ah had only meant to frighten Heat Wave with the threat of death. Was this the nicest thing to do? Not really, but maybe if she put the fear of god into him maybe he would stop and think before he attacked someone else. She didn't even bring her arm down when she felt a strong hand lock around her wrist.

"I think that's enough."

M'yri'ah was so shocked that someone had tried to stop her that it didn't take J'onn long to disarm her.

"What do you think you are doing?" J'onn's calm voice belying the disillusionment he felt at her actions.

"What am I doing?" M'yri'ah asked. The man with the blowtorch gun let out a frightened yelp of relief before running out of the alleyway. "You are letting him get away." She growled.

"Not for long." J'onn knew Barry would probably have him in a jail cell soon enough with all the commotion they just caused. He felt M'yri'ah wiggle out of his hold before she turned to confront him. "Were you going to kill that man?"

M'yri'ah hesitated. "No." Her vision was still a little blurry and she couldn't see who she was dealing with. She couldn't just brush off almost getting barbecued without feeling some ill effects.

"You don't sound so sure." J'onn frowned at her.

"Did you want me to stand by while he murdered me?" She defended. "Besides I wasn't going to do anything to him."

J'onn wasn't sure if he should believe her or not. "I doubt you had to worry about him killing you." He had already been defeated.

"You never know." She rubbed her eyes again.

Concern trumped disappointment. "Are you alright?"

"I got a little singed so I don't feel great." She admitted. The protective armor she wore started to fall away and reveal her face and arms. Her hands were an angry red color where she had refused to put down her weapons. Her whole strategy had been pretty stupid now that she thought of it.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks like you will be fine."

"I suppose so." She looked at him square in the eye and realized with a start who she was looking at. Her heart fluttered at the bliss of seeing his face only for it to sink when he quickly looked away. Was he not happy to see her? Maybe he didn't even know her in this world. Maybe it really wasn't him? Sort of like how Wally was himself but wasn't? "It is you isn't it?" She asked softly.

"Yes." Was all he offered.

When he shifted his weight she heard the familiar sound of his feet scraping against the pavement. She suddenly had a thought. "Were you the one who has been following me?"

He waited a moment before answering. "Yes."

"Why?" Her shoulders dropped slightly at his admission.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't dangerous." His tone telling her he thought exactly that.

"I try not to be." She joked, trying to get him out of his chilly mood. "You look… different." His choice of garb was much more modest that she was used to. He was dressed head to toe in a black uniform and boots. Thin red lines broke up the monotony and accentuated his body. She liked how his cape was flush against his shoulders and neck, clipped with gold studs to the large red X shape across his chest. His cape was a deep blue of course, his favorite color. "Very stylish."

"Thank you." He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say.

M'yri'ah began to wonder about him. He lacked the red sphere on his chest but he was almost covered from head to toe like the villain version of him. He didn't seem very friendly in any case. He just stood there with his arms crossed, an unwavering red gaze staring down at her. He took a sudden step forward and without thinking she took a step back.

He didn't advance on her any further. "Are you afraid of me?"

She didn't want to be. "That depends I suppose."

"On what exactly?"

"If you are planning on hurting me."

"I haven't decided yet." He knew he spoke from anger, but he was so surprised when the words left his mouth. Perhaps there was still some part of him that still believed that this wasn't real and she was some forgery.

"I see." That wasn't reassuring in the least. "I only meant to frighten him J'onn. You must believe me." She saw him flinch when she said his name.

Before she had met the Justice Lords it had been difficult to imagine a world where J'onn would have a wicked bone in his body. It had been one of hardest things she ever had to do just to face off with him. He had the same history as her husband but something inside him had snapped after seeing so much injustice being carried out.

M'yri'ah had felt like she must be cursed. She lost her husband only to meet him again and he was so wrapped up in his perceived duty that she seemed like a small sacrifice to him. She had loved him so blindly that she fell into his trap.

And now it felt like it was happening again. There was something so cruel about this. Was she destined to meet him over and over each one hating her more than the last?

J'onn could feel the emotions wafting off of her, fear and pain began to swallow up the hope she had felt when she first realized who he was. Part of him twinged in guilt for causing her to feel that way. "I do believe you. I'm sorry M'yri'ah. I should not have said that." This wasn't how he wanted it to be. "I could never hurt you."

She visibly relaxed at his words. He brought his arms forward. At first she thought he meant to embrace her, but he was holding something out to her in a peace offering. She had forgotten in the heat of the moment that he still had her weapons. "Oh, my daggers. Thank you." She took them from him and quickly sheathed them in her belt.

"I would not do that again." J'onn warned. "Someone might get the wrong idea about you." Then he thought better of it. "Unless you are with Batman of course." Bruce always said that fear worked best for him. J'onn began wondering if M'yri'ah knew him very well in her world and if they shared the same philosophy.

"Yes, I imagine he would give me a few pointers on how to do it better."

He made a brief sound of amusement. So she did know Bruce.

Now that they were more at ease with each other he still hadn't gone to her like a husband would go to his wife. Perhaps they were just friends in this world? Or maybe they were acquaintances from the look of things. She could live with that more than a tyrannical dictator. "J'onn?" She waited for his reply.

"Yes?"

"If you have nowhere else to go, would you like to visit with me? I have some questions." She desperately wanted to ask him what was different in this world.

J'onn first thought to refuse her, not wanting to give her any advantages over him. Almost as soon as he thought it he realized he needed to open up a little and stop being so paranoid if anything was going to move forward. "That sounds nice."

He didn't sound thrilled but she would take what she could get. "Thank you. When would you like to leave?"

Oh yes, he hadn't meant to dawdle in Central City as long as he had. He really needed to get back home. "I do have to apologize. I have somewhere I need to be I'm afraid." He really did seem sorry. "Can we meet later? Perhaps tomorrow would be best after your ordeal."

M'yri'ah was disappointed but she supposed he must have a life he needed to attend to. That and she could use a nap. "Where would you like to meet tomorrow?"

"In the morning," He thought on that. "At the train station near your apartment."

"Where you've been following me?" She couldn't believe he would even suggest going there.

"It is located conveniently." He explained the reason behind his choice.

M'yri'ah had another idea. "How about we meet just outside the city, and then walk to the train station?"

He raised a brow quizzically. "Interesting."

"I just thought it would be nice to go for a long walk." She said matter of fact. "Besides, it's not as if I live in the center of the city." She wasn't but a few miles away from the city limits.

J'onn just remembered, M'yri'ah often liked to take walks with him around the city when they were younger. He couldn't believe he had almost forgotten about that. "Let's meet by the new theatre going up outside town." He supposed the construction site would be a good landmark.

Thank goodness, if she got in a long walk with him then it would give them more time to talk. "At nine?" she asked.

"Agreed." J'onn shot into the air like a bolt. She quickly lost sight of him.

* * *

**Author's note: I had to edit the crap out of this chapter to fill in a few plot holes. I'm finished with the story but I'm kind of glad I'm reading it a few times over. I'll try posting slowly so I'll catch more stuff. Please feel free to comment if you like the story so far (or not). I do love improving my writing.**


	5. Bargaining

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

J'onn's vision shot ahead to scout the area before he arrived. He could see that M'yri'ah had arrived early. She was still in her hero form, drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick as she waited for him. He landed close to her, startling her with his sudden entrance. "Good morning M'yri'ah." He greeted.

M'yri'ah smiled up at him, he seemed like he was in a better mood. "'Morning J'onn." She stood up from the pile of lumber she was sitting on.

She was so happy to see him that his guard dropped a little. How many times had he come home and seen that exact same expression on her face? "I guess we better get started on our walk." He cleared his throat.

"Of course." She dropped the stick she had been holding and dusted herself off.

His uniform melted into a black suit, blue button down and a red tie, his skin shifting from a dark green to a medium brown color. His usual blank red eyes grew pupils and a dark brown iris. He ran a hand over his bald head, seeming to check his appearance by touch.

She thought he looked rather smart in his outfit. "You look like you are about to go out to dinner."

"I like to be prepared."

She shifted back to her usual human form, her belt retreated completely and made way for a modest yellow dress and black pumps. She was blonde as always since taking the job with Wally but this time she chose blue eyes to match his shirt.

J'onn couldn't help but feel pleased by her appearance. Then again, she could turn into anything and he would probably still feel the same way. "I liked your golden eyes better." He said without thinking. After the words left his mouth he silently held his breath. Why did he say that?

She stupidly wondered how he could know about her eyes, but then remembered that he had been following her around for who knows how long. More questions to add onto the already growing list. "I see." She blinked and her eyes changed back to his preferred color. "Better?"

"Yes." He suddenly felt nervous. Asking someone to change such a small detail on their body like that was generally seen as an act of intimacy.

She wondered if he would take a request from her. "Why don't you change your shirt to yellow and we can match?" He hesitated a moment but then she saw the color of his shirt fade from blue to yellow. It almost reminded her of a sunrise as she watched it change. "You look very nice. What do you think of my outfit?" She grabbed the hem of her dress. "Do you like it?"

"Yes I do. You look very… sunny." He willed himself to shut up a long time ago but it didn't seem to be working very well.

"Thank you." M'yri'ah grinned, he looked so nervous she was sure he might explode if she took his hand or arm and tried to lead him to her home. "Would you like to get some coffee or tea? Or maybe you would like to go back to my place instead?" Wilbur was probably at work still, so she could speak to J'onn without worrying about him listening in.

"Both." He desperately wanted to go somewhere public with her and stay there, afraid being in an intimate setting with her might throw him off his guard, but he imagined she wanted to ask him some questions that they really didn't need to discuss in public. "Let's get something to drink and go to your apartment."

"Lead the way."

* * *

My God! J'onn thought as M'yri'ah opened the door to let him in. He felt like he stepped into a large closet rather than a place someone lived. "There isn't much to it is there?" He placed his tea down on her table before looking through the tiny window by her sink.

"I live alone. I don't really need a lot of space." M'yri'ah threw her keys on the counter, they made a loud clacking sound as they skittered across its surface.

He felt he might go mad in such a small cramped room if he had to live here but he could understand the appeal it held for her. "It's very warm."

"Would you like the fan?" She called over her shoulder.

"No, I meant the colors." He mused, turning back from the window. The room was littered with pinks and reds. "You made it look like the apartment in your world. It is in the same building right?"

What he said startled her. "How would you know that?"

He wondered what she meant. Surely she knew he could hear her thoughts. "You think of your home often to and from work."

"You were going through my memories?" Her voice was dripping with accusation. "And you didn't even ask my permission?"

"You are my wife, I didn't believe I needed to ask."

She gasped at this, her eyes opening fractionally in surprise. She wasn't sure what she was more shocked about, his complete disregard for her privacy or that he actually called her his wife. He probably didn't even realize he said it. That was one question answered at least.

"I will try to refrain from doing so in the future." He quickly added, not sure what he had done to offend her so.

"Well thank you." Her voice was a low growl.

"I apologize." He sighed. Obviously they had a cultural barrier to deal with. How could they have so many of the same memories and yet be so different? "I didn't mean to be intrusive."

M'yri'ah visibly softened at his words. "It is alright. You didn't know." She wasn't sure what came over her but she wanted to touch his face, to let him know that she loved and forgave him.

J'onn's hand caught hers. It wasn't harsh or tender but it was firm. "Please don't."

She pulled her hand back from him as if it burned. "I'm sorry."

There was an awkward moment of silence before he gestured to her table and chairs for them to sit. "You said you had some questions for me?"

"Ah, yes." She rubbed her offending hand with the other before she let it drop to her side. She took a seat across from him at the table. He had thoughtfully retrieved her coffee from the counter and placed it in front of her. "I'll try to get to the point so we don't waste too much time with niceties. I hope you won't get offended."

He nodded his consent.

"Are you a villain?"

He was so tickled by how deadpan she asked the question that he couldn't help but grin just a little. "No, I don't believe I am."

M'yri'ah nodded, accepting him at his word. "Is there another me around here somewhere?"

She wasn't kidding when she said she wasn't going to mince words. "Not anymore." J'onn's voice was very soft.

She wasn't going to allow him the time to wax sentimental. "How long?"

"I'm not sure exactly." He said truthfully. "I was alone for a long time on Mars, or at least it felt that way."

She decided to go on to a less depressing subject. "Do you always go around following people to work and back each day, or is it just me?"

"I usually do it as part of my job if I need to," He explained, staring at his tea on the table for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I am detective here on earth. I do not usually follow around civilians but I am sure you realize you are a special case."

"I guess so." She frowned. "Why didn't you just speak with me instead of hiding?"

He didn't know if he really wanted to share all that information with her just yet. He didn't really want to think about the times he had been tricked into believing her alive and well only for them to be dashed. "I didn't know if you were a villain yourself. Your garb doesn't exactly look friendly."

"I suppose it doesn't." She consented, and then asked. "Are you a part of the Justice League? Or is that what they call themselves?"

"They do. I am not a part of it anymore." He tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible. There were no hard feelings so he didn't want to convey that there had been a problem.

"Oh?"

"I've had some disagreements with them. I am not against them and I help them whenever they need it." He assured her. "I just felt like it was time to come back down to earth. I missed being a part of a community and helping in small ways. You sort of forget that when you are floating above everything in space." He noticed she looked thoughtful. "Were you with them as well?"

"Well I was with the League. I was actually taking a sabbatical when I was brought here." She knew he was about to ask so she decided to offer up the information. "I was having issues dealing with your death. Well, my husband's death." Her hands twisted in her lap as she remembered. "He had only recently died. I was sort of numb for years and threw myself into work... But it caught up with me. I was so angry all the time."

He understood that all too well. "I'm sorry."

"You said I am your wife?" She asked suddenly.

He forgot about that. "Yes."

"Why are you acting this way?" She wondered. "You must know by now that I'm not here to hurt you or anyone."

"You are like my wife, but you really aren't the M'yri'ah I knew. My wife died a long time ago along with our daughter." He said, the edges of sadness tinging his voice.

M'yri'ah caught that he said daughter rather than sons. So things were quite different here indeed.

"You may sound like her, and have many of her memories but you are very different and I'm not sure what I am supposed to do." He thought maybe being honest as he could about that subject would help.

No one knew that better than her. M'yri'ah wondered what this J'onn thought of her then. She wanted so badly to go to him. Even if he wasn't exactly the man she married, he looked and sounded just like him. He was for all intents and purposes him. She felt like her husband would understand and want her to be happy. Maybe that's why she felt like there was no difference.

"I don't think badly of you." J'onn assured. He wanted nothing more than to go to her himself. He just didn't know if he should.

She glared at him for reading her thoughts again but let it go. "Then what do we do?"

He thought on it for a moment before answering. "Maybe we could pretend like we are meeting for the first time." It seemed like the best approach since this particular version of themselves had in fact, just met yesterday.

"You mean we should treat each other like strangers?"

He folded his hands on the table. "Well, maybe not so drastic. Maybe as friends?"

"Okay." She knew it wasn't an unreasonable request but it still made her sad to think that they wouldn't be together right away. She felt like she had been waiting forever for him already. "I'll try."

He could feel her sadness and it almost hurt him physically. "Please do not be upset M'yri'ah. I would just like to get to know you better."

"I know." Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

After yet after another awkward silence he said finally, "Maybe it would be best if I left now." He stood up, straightening his shirt and tie "You've had a lot to take in today."

"Oh, okay." She really didn't want him to leave.

"I don't want to leave either." He admitted, reading her thoughts once more. "Sorry." He chuckled at her angry face. "It's something that you'll have to get used to I'm afraid." He tried not to listen to her mind, but she was broadcasting her thoughts so loudly to him it was hard to ignore. She also wore her heart on her sleeve, as they say, and it didn't take a mind reader to see how she felt about most things. "I will respect your wishes about going through your memories. I'll let you share those with me when you are ready." She saw his hand twitch as if he thought of touching her in some way but thought better of it. "Goodbye then and thank you for your hospitality."

"Goodbye J'onn." She stood up and walked him to the door. "Have a safe trip home." She closed the door shut with him on the other side. She felt him wait there for a moment before he left. Only when she was sure he was gone did she allow herself to cry.

* * *

M'yri'ah pulled the covers up over her chin and got ready to drift off to sleep. She could hear the sound of Wilbur going through his nightly rituals through the paper thin walls. She could hear him humming as he completed his chores, the water running as he did the dishes or washed his clothes. She tittered when she heard a small thump and a curse fly loose from him. He probably bumped his head on the low hanging chandelier in the dining room again. She fell asleep as the sound of his soft humming resumed.

* * *

Wilbur had invited M'yri'ah over for some coffee. She looked positively miserable. "What's the matter?"

"I found out my husband is alive." M'yri'ah said plainly. She wasn't upset about him being alive but things weren't great between them so it was still too easy to celebrate.

"Oh, you mean J'onn?" Wilbur asked. "I thought you knew that."

M'yri'ah perked up at that. "How do you know my husband's name? I never told you. Did I?" She tried to remember.

Wilbur looked like he had been caught in some misdeed. "Oh yeah, remember how Dr. Erdel and I brought you here?"

"Yes?" She waited for him to answer her.

"Well he's that friend of Dr. Erdel."

She was so confused. "Wait, you mean J'onn asked to bring me here?" And he's been stalking me and acting like an iceberg. She thought bitterly.

"Well, not exactly. We didn't ask him if he wanted you here."

"Oh." That was a relief. She was glad he wasn't acting so mercurial.

"So..." He poked her side playfully, sitting next to her. "How are things going with you and J'onn? Love in the air? You don't have to thank me now."

Things weren't going as great as she wished, but it could be worse. "Things are not going splendidly no." M'yri'ah took a breath and thought she should try being positive. At least J'onn hadn't completely cut her out and he did say that he wanted to get to know her better.

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "I am sorry M'yri'ah."

"It is alright." She soothed. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was." He countered. "I encouraged Dr. Erdel to expand to perimeters of his search. I thought maybe someone who wasn't from this world would be a good match."

"Still, you were just trying to help J'onn." M'yri'ah tried faking a reassuring smile for his benefit. "I really should thank you. At least I got to see him once more."

"You are too kind." Wilbur sighed and then his eyes brightened as if a thought struck him. "I know. I had sort of forgotten but I spoke with Dr. Erdel about sending you back if J'onn wasn't happy about you being here or visa versa. Maybe we can find a way to send you back to your own world?"

"That would be nice." It wouldn't be a bad option just in case J'onn decided he didn't want to pursue things with her. She loved him and wanted to see him, but she wasn't sure she could handle knowing he was out there keeping her at arm's length for the rest of their lives. "I miss my friends Wally and Dianah."

"Wally is the man who looks like me?" Wilbur mused. "He is The Flash in your world. I wondered about him."

"You saw him?" M'yri'ah asked. Good lord, did anyone respect anyone's privacy in this damn universe?

"Yes, I made visual contact with you several times." He held up his hands when he saw how upset she looked. "Don't worry, I didn't see anything embarrassing."

"I imagine because I don't really do anything embarrassing." She huffed.

"I wanted to ask you something and you don't have to answer me if you don't want to." Wilbur knew he was taking a chance. "Wally and you, you spent a lot of time together?"

He hesitated so long M'yri'ah encouraged him to continue. "Yes, we were neighbors and obviously you know that we worked together."

"Well, were you more than friends?" He fiddled with his fingers bashfully.

"With Wally? My god no." She made a face. "He is still so young and very excited to explore the world on his own. Besides, my husband had just died."

"I imagine you have that problem a lot." Wilbur decided to ignore the sore subject. "With age I mean. I must be like a child to you as well."

"Well no." She didn't want him to think that all Martians looked down on beings that lead shorter lives than them. "You are a man."

He seemed to puff up at that. "You know, if we can't send you back and J'onn doesn't work out you could always have me."

She almost couldn't believe he suggested such a thing. "What?"

"Yeah!" He scratched the stubble on his chin. "I mean, I've been wife hunting for a while and we seem to get along fine."

M'yri'ah didn't know what she could say without hurting his feelings. "Wally, I don't think you've thought this through."

"I actually put a little bit of thought into it." He said seriously. "I mean, I didn't put much stock into it since you and J'onn were supposed to be an item. But if he won't have you… maybe someday you will take a shine to me?"

"Some day?"

"I'm patient." He chirped. "I can wait for you." At her stricken look he soothed her. "Look, I'm not going to make things weird for us. I don't expect anything. I just find you attractive is all. That and you are so kind, it's hard not to fall for you just a little."

"I suppose." She said softly. "But I wouldn't put much hope into me Wally."

When she was silent for a moment he fretted. "Oh man, I did make things weird."

"No, no. I guess it's just given me something to think about." She would really have to be careful how she acted around Wally from now on. It wasn't that she didn't like him, but she didn't want to give him false hope about a relationship blossoming between the two of them.

Wally looked pleased as punch at her answer. "Hey, you want some pancakes? I can totally go for some pancakes." He didn't wait for her to answer before he began pulling out bowls and ingredients.


	6. Anger

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

There was a knock at her door. M'yri'ah wondered who it could be. Wilbur was supposed to be away on vacation this week. As she got closer to the door she could practically feel J'onn's presence glowing behind the wooden surface. She wasn't surprised at all when she swung the door open. "Back for more?"

J'onn was all smiles today. "I can't stay away it seems."

"Well that's good to hear." She stepped to the side and let him through.

"Were you going out on patrol?" J'onn asked. She was in her hero form, her black straps covering her body and the knives hung off her belt. Now that he was closer the black fabric looked a little ragged around the edges.

"No, actually I just returned." She gestured towards the dining room table. "Have a seat. Would you like some tea? I was about to put the kettle on." He seemed to be in a better mood this time around. They had several awkward meetings but things seemed to be getting a little better between the two of them.

He sat down on one of her small dining room chairs, this time moving his seat so he sat next to her chair rather than across the table. "Thank you that would be nice."

"It is nothing." She waved her hand as she spoke.

J'onn waited patiently without speaking as she moved around her small kitchen. It wasn't long before she set a steaming cup in front of him with cream and sugar. She deposited a plate between the two of them with little shortbread cookies with chess pictures on them. He'd had to remember himself or he might eat them all without thinking much about it.

"What would you like to talk about today?" She finally asked, sitting down. He had moved his chair close enough to where their knees were touching.

This was going to be embarrassing. "I suppose I was wondering what you looked like under your clothes?"

A slow smile spread across her face. She knew he meant the facade she wore but the way he asked tickled her to no end. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

He enjoyed her use of human expressions. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that she spent more time on earth than he ever had on Mars. "Alright then." They both stood up and walked a few paces away from the table to give themselves space. J'onn grew a couple feet taller, his legs stretching and contorting. Hard green skin and muscle formed over barbed looking hips and elbows. His arms grew well past his knees and the extra digits on his hands and feet grew back in on themselves.

Her change wasn't quite so drastic. He was startled at how human she looked. She shared their body proportions exactly. She had a soft looking body and face, a gentle slope to her brow and even a pointed human like nose. She even had five fingers and toes with rounded fingernails rather than the sharper talon like fingers he sported. The back of her head was elongated and tapered off to a dull point much like his own. She had larger hips that jutted out, but they didn't look as severe as he was used to. Her ears were pointed like an elf. She was also completely nude for some reason save for the belt around her waist.

She gasped softly when he transformed. He imagined he looked positively monstrous in comparison. "Not what you were expecting?" He teased.

"Well, no." She tittered, realizing that she had been gaping at him. "But no matter what, you will always look beautiful to me." Her voice was so sincere that he believed her.

"I don't mind telling you I feel a little cheated." His voice held just a touch of merriment. "It's like you haven't changed at all from the way you normally look." He looked like he was about to reach out to her at first but thought better of it.

"You don't have to be so shy." She offered. "I don't mind if you want to touch me."

He felt a spike of desire at her words which he quickly pressed down. Still, he took her up on her offer and lifted his hand to her face. He dragged his knuckles across her cheek and she closed her eyes. "Your skin is very soft."

The skin of his hand had a certain texture she couldn't place. It was rougher than she imagined. Not coarse like sandpaper but it did have some tooth to it. "Do you like it?"

"I do." He absently trailed his finger along her neck and she shuddered. His body cried out for him to continue but he let his hand fall to his side, ending the contact.

"May I?" M'yri'ah asked shyly.

He didn't feel like denying her this time. "Of course."

When she reached up to touch his face he got a mischievous idea and bared a toothy grin at her, his sharp teeth gleaming wickedly.

"Oh!" She laughed, pulling her hand back. "My, my Mr. J'onzz what big teeth you have." She then pulled his face down a little more roughly than he was expecting.

J'onn's brain felt like it short circuited for a moment as she kissed him. He forgot himself for a while and returned her affection. He took a breath to steady himself. He crossed his arms over his chest and his voice took on a more business like tone. "We need to talk."

His words sounded so dull in her ears and lacked any of the warmth he had used not moments before she kissed him. "Yes." She wondered if maybe she had pushed her luck. They both sat down at the table again. She knew he must have shifted his weight in someway. He was so massive, she was sure he would break the chair he sat upon if he hadn't.

"You aren't the same as my M'yri'ah." He began.

Thank you captain obvious. She thought irritably. She tried to keep a straight face as she answered him. "I know."

"Our histories are so different." J'onn went on. "We don't even look the same."

"That doesn't really matter." She pointed out. "Not to people like us."

"True enough."

She sighed. At least he relented on that.

"But..." He began slowly.

"But?" She was feeling a little impatient.

"But you are also like her in many ways. You are so warm and loving... and maybe a little too trusting." J'onn's expression softened a bit.

"Thank you." She grunted, not sure if that was really a compliment.

"I apologize for being so cold to you." He said suddenly, as if he would lose the nerve to say it if he hesitated any longer. "And I am sorry for following you."

"Oh." She hated to burst his bubble. "It's not like you were hiding it very well."

"Near the end, yes." He felt rather embarrassed about how sloppy he had been. "I got too close to you because I wanted to hear the sound of your voice."

That sounded kind of sweet if he hadn't been acting so creepy. "I wish you felt like you could speak with me directly rather than skulking around."

"I know." His voice held a hint of frustration. "I was trying to be cautious. You aren't the last Martian Dr. Erdel tried to release from that invention of his."

"So I've heard."

He was a little startled to hear that. "Oh?"

Wally had told her stories. Dr. Erdel had been quite the blabbermouth. "Did you really get seduced by an old lady?" She couldn't help the wicked smile that was pulling at her lips.

He pressed his mouth together in a firm line, answering her question for her.

"I'm sorry." She tried to push down her amused grin and then the severity of his face actually crushed it down. "That bad?" Maybe Wally hadn't told her everything.

"Worse." He said flatly, not at all pleased M'yri'ah was making light of what had happened to him. "She was very much like my brother. She didn't care what she took."

When J'onn mentioned his brother she seemed to perk up. "She is like Ma'alefa'ak?"

He flinched as his name left her lips. "Yes."

"How so?" She wondered aloud. "She was a scientist?"

"Yes she was." His tone lead her to believe that she had missed the point entirely. "Don't you remember what he did to you?"

"Like what?" She shrugged. "Be rude? Wasn't he that way to everyone?"

"He violated you." Her eyes grew in surprise at that. "Did he never do anything like that to you?"

"I'm sorry J'onn. I didn't know." She felt horrible about teasing him about his ordeal now. "No, he never touched me."

Thank heaven for that. "I'm glad." He breathed. M'yri'ah already had a hard enough life without adding that particular trauma upon her.

"I can't imagine him doing such a horrid thing to me." She said, before seeming to remember something.

He could. J'onn could tell from M'yri'ah's thoughts she thought Ma'alefa'ak had physically assaulted his wife. He had actually gone into her mind and tormented her. M'yria'ah's mind went blank, or she was blocking him from her memories. Why was she making that face? J'onn's frown deepened. "What did he do?"

She had almost forgotten about it. "Nothing really."

"Please just tell me." He asked patiently.

M'yri'ah knew she would have to tell him at some point and he was so nosey he would find out on his own if she didn't. "Ma'alefa'ak tried to kiss me once." She felt odd saying it out loud. "After you and I were married."

J'onn looked positively livid.

"But I stopped it and he never tried anything again." She said quickly. "He even apologized to me for being inappropriate."

"Is this the first time you are telling this to anyone?"

"Well, yes. I didn't tell my husband. I was embarrassed about the whole situation. Plus I didn't want him to overreact. Obviously they didn't get along together and I didn't want to cause another fight between the two of them."

Dear god, she had been in a dangerous situation and never told anyone about it. "What was he like, my brother?" He started to wonder if maybe Ma'alefa'ak had approached his wife in the same way before he had attacked her. He could imagine his brother feinting genuine care for her and acting embarrassed afterwards to get her guard down.

"Mean," She said quickly. "He wasn't a nice man. He was always so crabby and didn't like you or the rest of your family."

"And you?"

"He was nice enough I suppose in his own way." She admitted. "You believed he was in love with me. If he was he had a funny way of showing it. He always spoke down to me as if I were a child." She paused. "He didn't yell at me though, or make thinly veiled threats as he did with you." And there was that whole weird kissing moment but she didn't feel like it was romantic so much as he wanted to do it to upset J'onn. Now that she was looking back at the situation maybe she should have said something even if it would have upset her husband.

J'onn frowned as that thought went through her head. He would have almost preferred his brother being in love with her. It would mean that he cared about her, rather than trying to use her as a tool for his hatred. "Hm."

M'yri'ah tried to focus on something positive J'onn's brother may have done. "Ma'alefa'ak gave me these." She patted her belt and daggers.

He stared at her for a full minute before replying. "He gave those to you?" The thought of something his brother made being wrapped around her so intimately felt so wrong to him. It was a wonder he hadn't noticed the similarity of their clothing before. If hi Ma'alefa'ak were here now they would look like a pair.

"Yes," She shrugged, "You didn't like it of course. Well, he didn't like it." She clarified. "And I do believe now Ma'alefa'ak gave them to me for the sole benefit of angering him, but I couldn't just throw them away. It would have been rude." She thumbed the hilt of her dagger absently. "They actually came in handy."

"You shouldn't keep those things M'yri'ah." J'onn warned. "You don't know what they could do."

"He is long dead J'onn." She said, believing him unreasonable. "Besides, without my armor I wouldn't have lasted very long at all during the war." Those parasitic bastards had used fire against them often. The armor's fire shielding was probably the only reason her husband allowed her to keep them at all.

"The war is over, please throw them away."

"No." she stated firmly.

"M'yri'ah..." He growled.

"Do you want to take them off me?" She teased him, trying to lighten the mood.

But he wasn't going to let it go so easily. "If you would let me destroy them I would tear them off you right now."

"It really bothers you doesn't it?"

"Ma'alefa'ak has never, ever in any world I have ever been in, had any good intentions with anything he has created." He frowned. "Given more time he would have used your kindness against you. He certainly did against my wife."

"You are being too dramatic." She grated.

"Am I?"

"Like you said, I am very different. What if he was too?"

"You don't know what those things could do. Perhaps leave you vulnerable in some way during a fight."

"J'onn, I am not going to burst into flames if I wear this."

He flinched at her words. "Please do not say that."

She wondered what she said to get that reaction out of him. Surely he had heard that expression before; it had been common on Mars. Maybe it was an insult from his perspective. "I'm sorry."

"If you are truly sorry please take the cursed thing off."

He wasn't going to relent until she did as he said. For the sake of continuing their conversation M'yri'ah undid the belt around her hip and handed it to him. He snatched it out of her hand as if he was afraid she would suddenly change her mind.

"I'm taking these with me." J'onn's voice was calmer now that she had given him the offending items.

She did not agree to that. "I hope you plan on replacing them."

"You don't need knives to play superhero."

Play? He was so condescending she could hardly stand it. "Maybe you don't."

"M'yri'ah," He said patiently. "Most of the villains of this world aren't as strong as you think. They definitely don't deserve to be cut in half."

"And for the ones that are as strong as I think?"

"I can teach you to defend yourself."

"Will you?" Her question came out accusatory.

"Yes." He answered her without letting emotion touch his voice. "I won't leave you vulnerable like before."

"Well thank you." M'yri'ah said a little too quickly, obviously upset at him.

"You're welcome." He said in that same maddenly calm tone.

"I was being sarcastic."

"I know," He grated, finally allowing his frustrations to surface. "I hoped by agreeing with you that I could disarm your waspy tone."

She gasped before she retorted. "You are lucky I did get along so well with your brother in my world. You speak exactly like him it seems."

It was his turn to gasp.

"It's true. You are being over protective and strange. Following me around like some villain and speaking down to me. What is wrong with you?"

He took a breath and let it out through his nose slowly. "I'm sorry."

"No you aren't." She snapped.

"Yes I am." He wondered why she was acting this way. Maybe his particular way of talking irritated her. He was so out of practice speaking with an intimate partner. What had his mother and father said? When all else fails apologize again. "I'm sorry. You've been dead for hundreds of years..."

"So you make up for lost time by making an ass of yourself?"

He let a bitter laugh pass his lips. "You are definitely not like M'yri'ah."

"I gathered that." Her eyes narrowed on him. She was getting rather sick of being compared to her younger self. "What was she like J'onn? Some shrinking violet that did whatever you said and always agreed with you?"

She most certainly didn't. If she did she might still be alive today. "Be careful." He warned.

"Or what? You'll talk down to me some more?"

J'onn finally lost his temper. "What was your husband like? A henpecked man who did whatever you asked?"

She grit her teeth so hard J'onn could hear her jaw click from across the room. "No, I respected him."

"Meaning what exactly?" He dared her.

"Take a guess, genius."

J'onn took a calming breath before he said anything else he regretted. How on earth was she getting under his skin this way?

"Don't look at me that way." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You were the one who started all this."

"Me?"

"I'm playing at being a super hero?" M'yri'ah reminded. "I know you remember me only as a housewife but I've had to change J'onn. And even if I was only a housewife, I don't deserve to be spoken to that way from my own husband."

"No you don't." He admitted. "But you don't have to fight me on every little thing. You also don't have to snap at me if I happen to disagree with you."

His gentle tone finally had a calming effect on her. "I'll try."

"M'yri'ah," J'onn wanted to explain. "I didn't mean to sound like I thought you incapable. I was just speaking out of frustration. You must understand, he hurt you deeply then murdered our family and everyone else. Even if he is dead, he might have done something to your outfit or your weapons, or maybe he didn't. I just don't want to lose you again. "

She didn't want to lose him either.

"It doesn't have to be this way." He said softly. "We don't have to fight."

"I know." Her body relaxed considerably from before. "I don't really want to fight. I just..." Her voice trailed off. She just wished he would stop comparing her to his M'yri'ah. She felt like he thought of her as something that was broken and needed to be fixed.

He realized what he had been doing. It wasn't fair really for him to compare the two of them over and over again. M'yri'ah didn't seem to have any expectations that he would be just like her husband, he should give her the same benefit.

She could tell by his face that he knew what she was thinking loud and clear. "You listened to my thoughts again." She accused, although her angry tone was gone.

"Yes." He didn't deny it.

"Please see me for who I am."

"I will. I'm sorry." He nodded. "Let us start over then."

"Alright." She agreed. God, they had yet another argument. It's like they couldn't sit down together without fighting. She supposed that they did make up each time and there were no hard feelings between them. Maybe it was just them getting to know each other.

He eyed the belt in his hand with a sigh. "M'yri'ah."

"Yes?"

He couldn't believe he was about to hand her back something Ma'alefa'ak had created. "I will give you your weapons back if you really want to keep them." He held the items out for her to take.

She was sorely tempted to take his offer. It was hard to let go of them. She had those daggers for so long they felt like they were a part of her. But... She took his hand and closed his fingers over her belt. "No. They bother you too much, I can tell. I will gladly let them go if you keep your promise to teach me to fight without them."

"I will." He promised.

"Then destroy them."

Relief flowed through his body. "Thank you."

"Although I'm sure you will find that you won't have to teach me much." She teased, trying once again to lighten the mood.

"Oh?" He thought she sounded rather cocky, but knew she was joking. He had torn her security blanket away and it made her nervous.

"Yes, you did show me a few things before. Well, my husband did." She was having a hard time keeping the two of them separate herself. "I can tell in this world that you are a little more ruthless though."

"Ruthless?"

"Hm." She mused. "You don't really pull your punches."

"I suppose I don't." He wondered how she would know this. To his knowledge she had never seen him fight before.

She could tell he was trying to piece together how she knew about him. "I met your friend Barry." M'yri'ah explained. "From his memories of you I can see you can see you are very good at what you do."

So she read the memories of others. J'onn wondered why it bothered her so much when he did it to her. Maybe he would have to ask that question later. Right now he didn't want to bring up another issue on the heels of their argument. "Well, thank you."

"You know, you are quite tall in your natural state." She changed the subject abruptly.

J'onn did tower over her now. She had always been smaller than him, but not by this much. "Does it bother you?"

"Not really. I kind of like it."

He took the time to really appreciate her features. "You look like an elf from a story book."

She snorted. "Do I?"

"It's a compliment." He clarified.

"Well, thank you." Her hands twisted in her lap nervously and he got a glimpse of the shy girl he had married so long ago.

Maybe he should lighten up a little. He wanted to get to know her better, not push her away completely. She kissed him earlier and while he allowed it and even participated he hadn't really allowed himself to fully enjoy it. He wondered now if he made her feel like he hadn't wanted it at all.

She still hadn't brought her eyes to his face, intent on staring at her hands. "Did you want more tea?"

Seeing her act so demurely brought a memory of her to the surface in his mind. "M'yri'ah?"

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"Do you remember when we first started seeing each other?" He could hear a flood of her memories rush forward. Hundreds of conversations they shared scrolled through his mind and he read them as quickly as possible before they ended.

"Of course." She wondered where he was going with the conversation now.

"Do you remember when I first invited you into my home?"

Her face flooded with color. "Yes."

This time he could see her memory rather than the words that they shared. "Do you remember what I said to you, while we sat on the sofa?" As soon as he said the words he could see the two of them sitting there, him staring at her so intently and she had been so shy that she could hardly look at him. She had been so pleased that he was interested in her, but she had been so anxious she was trembling.

"Yes of course I do." She laughed nervously. "You said, "M'yri'ah, I sure would like to kiss you.""

"And you told me, "Then why don't you?"" He finished.

She wondered if he meant he would like to kiss her. "Would you like to kiss me now J'onn?"

"I think I would."

"Then why don't you?"

And he leaned forward and did just that.

* * *

**Author's notes: I imagine M'yri'ah as herself in the Crisis of Two Earths movie (she is very pretty) but with her elf ears from the comics. If I can get my bamboo tablet to work I might try my hand at drawer her. I imagine J'onn looking like he does in Young Justice. That is probably my favorite so far.**

**I thought I would mix in a little of the cultural differences with Martians that I keep seeing with the different cartoons/comics. It seems in some worlds its perfectly okay to just talk in mindspeak all the time (Young Justice). I did notice on the JL cartoon that J'onn and M'yri'ah spoke out loud to each other and their children. It was just a thought that maybe that was the more family thing to do.**


	7. Reflection

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

The two of them had found another use for the construction site they met at. It had a large open area for them to move around in and it would be harder for them to be seen.

M'yri'ah groaned loudly, the sound echoing off the unfinished walls.

"You aren't very strong." J'onn pointed out, his hand in the middle of her back holding her down with just one arm.

"I could have told you that." Her voice was muffled into the floor. Her legs melded together, becoming snake like and wrapped itself around J'onn. She managed to break his hold on her by doing an alligator roll. It didn't take a minute before he had her on her back, pinned once more. "Damn it." Her legs snapped back into place.

"Didn't need to teach you much?" He teased.

"I suppose most of what I learned was how to run, hide and fight from a distance." Unless she knew she could get in close of course, then she just stabbed the hell out of whoever she was fighting.

"Hmm." She writhed underneath him, trying to escape once more. This time he pinned her hands over her head. "With our difference in strength I'd say that was an excellent strategy."

"You haven't taught me much today," She pointed out. "Other than you are very good at holding me down."

"Not for long, you are very slippery." He grunted when she managed to release one of her hands from his grip and knock him across the chin. "Feeling a little feistier I see."

She let out a growl of frustration when she tried to get away only for him to press his hand firmly on her middle, holding her in place. She thought to become intangible, but he only needed to shift his density as well and he could easily capture her again. She also tried morphing into a monster, but he was skilled at becoming something bigger and meaner. Unless she caught him unawares it was difficult to knock him off balance. It was a little frustrating going up against someone with an almost identical skill set that was far stronger than her.

Then again she had this same problem with her own husband long ago.

She went flat and rolled out from under him, this time meaning to run from him rather than confront him directly. She came up to a large metal pipe, when she turned to avoid it she could see he was practically on top of her. She managed to hold in the scream she felt bursting to get out and dodged him. He ran into the pipe, his head making a rather loud clang against the metal. "Oh." She let her concern for him take over and he used it to tackle her to the floor again.

"That was better." He complimented her. "Although you shouldn't worry about me M'yri'ah I can take a few hits to the head." He was really enjoying himself. Despite the fact that she wasn't much of a challenge yet, there was something satisfying about teaching his mate to fight and defend herself. He was surprised he hadn't thought of doing this before. He wouldn't have to worry as much about her while he was away.

"I'll bet you can." M'yri'ah tried getting away again but he held fast. She let out another growl of frustration. "I'm not used to feeling this helpless." She admitted. Now that she thought about it, she never had much of a chance to fight a fellow Martian before. She and her husband had spared but very rarely given their situation.

A sudden mischievous grin spread across his face.

"What are you thinking?" M'yri'ah asked suspiciously, she didn't have long to wait, his fingers skittered across her stomach and rib cage. "Stop!" She let out a peal of laughter. "Wait!"

Maybe it was the way she was squirming under him or the way she laughed but he suddenly wanted to kiss her again. Her laughter quickly turned to hungry mewing in his mouth. He wanted to take her in a visceral way, pressing her into the dirty floor below him.

This time she stopped him. "We probably shouldn't." She said between kisses. "We might be seen."

She was right, he thought as he took in a few calming breaths. This isn't how he wanted to take her for the first time. "Alright, let's get started again then." He lifted himself off of her and pulled her onto her feet.

* * *

An insistent knock pounded on the door no matter how many times she told him to hold on. "Wally, for God's sake I am coming!"

"Hurry up!" He shouted playfully, continuing to knock just to irritate her. "What, are you naked in there?"

"God you are so annoying." She swung the door open and he was still shaking his fist back and forth in midair where the door should be. "What is it?"

"You haven't seen me in a whole week and this is how you greet me?" He said in mock disappointment. "Look, I come bearing gifts."

She took a small box he handed her. She glanced up, asking permission to open it. When he nodded she pulled the ribbon back and opened the box. "Hotel shampoo?"

"Surprise!" He said in a sing-song voice.

It was the thought that counted. "Thank you, it was very thoughtful." She said sincerely.

"Oh man, you aren't any fun. I was hoping you would get upset." He huffed, disappointed.

"Well, you thought wrong." She poked his chest. "Let that be a lesson."

He had been holding something else behind his back the whole time. "Here, biscuits." He handed her a little carton of cookies from a shop he had been too while he was away. "I know how you like your sweets. Want to have them with some tea?"

She really didn't want to go back to his dirty apartment. "I'll make some."

He seemed pleased that he wouldn't have to make the tea. He sat down on the couch and watched her work. "So what have you been up to while I was away?"

"Well, things have gotten better between J'onn and I."

"That's great." His voice was sincere, thank goodness.

"Goodness knows we had enough fights while you were away."

"What about?"

M'yri'ah wondered if she should have said anything at all. It was her and J'onn's private business. She had just been so happy that things were better she thought she would mention it. "Weird things mostly, my daggers, my outfit, mind reading… other stuff. We worked it out though."

"Why was he upset about your outfit? It make you look too cool?" He teased, although he did seem a little disappointed it was gone. She imagined it was because he liked the way she looked in it. He said it enough.

"No, he just didn't like that his brother gave them to me is all."

Wilbur seemed a little taken aback by what she said. When she lifted her brow at him quizzically he seemed to come to his senses. "Well, it's just Dr. Erdel never mentioned J'onn had a brother."

"Oh."

"Maybe if he had I would have suggested we bring his brother here instead." Wilbur went on to say. "He probably would have liked to have someone related to him, don't you think?"

"Ha, that would have been a disaster."

Wilbur seemed a little confused. "Were they not close?"

"No, they weren't and they didn't really make it a secret either." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I never heard the end of it."

"You make it sound like you were caught in the middle." He pressed.

"I was. J'onn's brother visited often. Their mother wanted them to spend more time together. She had hoped J'onn would maybe rub off on him and make him into a nicer person." She almost looked amused. "It was hard to play referee."

Wilbur's continence turned serious. "They both spoke with you about each other?"

"Yes they did. J'onn was upset that I listened to his brother complaining about him. It's not that I agreed with him, mind you, but I understood what it was like to not be the favorite child."

Wilbur's face told her he found that hard to believe. "Oh?"

"My younger sister had been the apple of my father's eye." M'yri'ah sighed. "I did love her but it was sometimes irritating to have my father compare the two of us."

He scoffed. "What did you do that was so terrible?"

"Defy him constantly." M'yri'ah laughed at the incredulous face Wilbur made at her. "I rarely listened to him. He even opposed my marriage to J'onn because he was so much older than I. Not only that, but he had a suitor for me picked out already before I met J'onn and he didn't want to offend his friend's family. He ended up promising my sister to him. It worked out I suppose, she liked him better than I did."

Wilbur shared her laugh at that.

"Well, anyway. I believe Ma'alefa'ak felt he could vent to me without being judged." She explained, "But I did encourage him speak with his brother about his feelings each time he complained to me." She paused before continuing on, "He never did of course." Her lips pressed together in a straight line. "Ah well. They are both gone now. I just wish they had made up."

"I'm sure you did all you could."

"I suppose." She sighed. "I do feel bad sometimes that I let him complain about my own husband to me. I should have discouraged it." She shrugged. "Maybe I hoped if they both felt heard they would magically become friends but it just seemed to drive a bigger wedge between them. J'onn felt like his brother was trying to poison me from him and steal me away."

Wilbur shrugged his shoulders, unconsciously mimicking her. "Maybe he was."

"I don't believe so." M'yri'ah said slowly, not sounding very sure herself. "He never seemed interested in me in that way."

Wilbur wondered if she had ever noticed when people other than J'onn were interested in her.

"Besides, we had nothing in common really. He always seemed so absorbed in his work."

"He gave you a present." Wilbur pointed out. "That sounds like he liked you enough."

"Maybe so. Ma'alefa'ak made them himself and he didn't really part with his projects so easily. Now that I am remembering he did make a big show out of giving them to me." She looked up at Wilbur and rolled her eyes. "I am a fool."

"Don't feel too bad." Dr. Mitchell soothed, patting her knee. He glanced down at his watch and let a whistle blow through his teeth. "I suppose I should get going. It's late."

"Oh." M'yri'ah looked at the time. It was the middle of the night. "Yes, I see. Sorry to keep you."

"No, thank you for keeping me. My life is pretty boring and it is nice to have someone to talk to."

* * *

J'onn was having a hard time sorting through the file he brought with him. He had been in such a hurry to get here he had just thrown everything he needed into his briefcase and came over. M'yri'ah was curled up naked on the couch next to him, looking even smaller than normal with her legs tucked underneath her. It had been so long since he had watched her read that he had almost forgotten that she licked her finger as she turned each page.

M'yri'ah let out a small laugh as she read a particularly funny passage. "Hm." She sighed heavily.

He watched her tongue dart across her finger tips for what seemed the hundredth time. Maybe he would have to borrow it from her when she was finished. Considering how close they've gotten it was getting harder to ignore her state of undress.

"Are you alright J'onn?" She asked, not looking up from her book.

"Yes, why?"

"You keep looking at me and making noises." She put her book down and faced him. "Am I doing something to bother you?"

"It's nothing."

"No, it's okay. You can tell me." She put her feet down on the floor and turned to him fully.

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about this. "I'm flattered that you would feel comfortable around me enough to show me your body, but why are you nude?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"When you shift to your true self, you never wear any clothes."

"Well, it's pretty redundant to put on clothes made of my own skin don't you think?" She hadn't thought about it until now but he did create at least a small cloth, or clothes to cover up his private areas. She thought he did it for aesthetic purposes and not because he was shy. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"I'm not sure." He lied. It sure did but he didn't want her to tease him about it.

"I just never did wear anything, and neither did anyone else when we are our true selves." M'yri'ah smiled at him. "What did you wear?"

"Clothes." He said simply.

He was so uncomfortable she decided to not press him further on that matter. "I wonder, do you even find this body attractive? I know you think I look like a human. I never stopped to ask you what you thought of me or what Martian women looked like in this world."

"I find your body beautiful." He said honestly. "As for what the women looked like let me think on it for a moment."

She saw an image flash in her mind. She could tell he was showing her his M'yri'ah. She looked similar to J'onn but with a slender body and face. She didn't quite look as warlike as J'onn either, lacking the barbs on her hips and arms. The only thing that disturbed her was how flat chested she was and how slender her hips were. Her own body was also slender around the middle, but she definitely had a bust and large hips. She wondered if she looked fat in comparison.

"You don't look fat. You just look like a human." J'onn chided.

"Why do you always read my immediate thoughts?" She asked. "Why don't you ever ask me what I'm thinking of instead?"

"I suppose because I don't see the point if I can hear your thoughts." He knew she wasn't going to be happy about this. "Since we are so close emotionally, I can hear when you are thinking quite loudly. It's not something I'm doing on purpose, it happens passively"

"Oh." The thought of him listening in on her thoughts at all times was still upsetting, but if he wasn't doing it on purpose she supposed she couldn't be too mad at him.

"Why does it upset you?" He asked. "When I know what you are thinking?"

"Well," She crossed her leg, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "In my culture we did read others, but we it mostly between people we really don't know well or distant friends. We didn't really speak to each other with our minds like you do unless we were being secretive or didn't trust someone around us." She thought about it. "My husband and I used it mostly after the war started, when it wasn't safe to speak out loud."

"So it was used sort of like a weapon."

"Yes." She nodded, glad he finally understood. "Married couples or partners just don't do that sort of thing unless you have permission or you want to share something intimate and want to be discrete. When you do it without asking all the time it's like saying you don't trust me or you are fact checking me."

"Oh." That would explain her irritability.

"But I do understand now." She thought of a question she wanted to ask earlier. "Did you read each other's thoughts all the time?"

"Yes." He said. "But I suppose it went deeper than mind reading. We were connected together, our thoughts and feelings." It was hard to describe.

She wondered what that felt like.

"Bliss." He answered her unasked question.

That didn't sound too bad. "I wonder if I could do it." She thought out loud. "I mean if I even have the ability. We are so different."

"We might be able to." He wasn't sure at first, but now that she seemed interested he was jumping at the chance to see if it would work. "Would you like to try?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt." She laughed nervously when he took her into his lap and placed her hands on his temples and then positioned his fingers on her head as well.

"I could usually do this across from a chair but your arms are short." He explained. True she could probably stretch her arms up but this was a good excuse to be closer to her.

J'onn's eyes began to glow and she felt the familiar touch of his mind, edging its way along her consciousness. M'yri'ah gasped when she felt it piercing through gently, merging with hers. She quickly realized this wasn't a simple mind reading or sharing. She was half terrified she was going to become lost.

"Relax." J'onn soothed out loud. "I won't do anything to hurt you."

M'yri'ah let her shoulders drop and took a calming breath. "Okay."

J'onn gave her a reassuring smile before continuing. He went slower and after a few moments he could feel her reluctance begin to give way. He let out a shuddering sigh when he felt her let go and allow herself to be taken by him. It felt the same when he and his wife came together for the first time so long ago.

After he made the connection, he allowed his hands to move down her body and rest around her hip and waist. She hadn't let go of his head, looking like she was positively gripped in a pleasant yet unfamiliar sensation. "Are you alright M'yri'ah?" He asked, groaning when she shifted around to straddle his lap.

"Yes." She said tightly, her head felt like it was swimming in pleasure. "I don't know what to do."

"It's okay." He felt it too. "Although you should probably try to breath."

"Okay." M'yri'ah took a breath, and then another far too quickly. She let her hands fall to his shoulders, kneading them mindlessly. "Oh God."

J'onn breathed deeply and she could feel the wind rushing in her mind. He was trying to help her calm down.

When she finally could control her breathing she opened up her eyes. She could feel how much he loved her when he looked at her. She imagined he could probably better understand how she felt now too, under her sometimes prickly exterior. It gave her such hope. "It feels nice." She murmured, feeling warm and liquid.

J'onn looked into her eyes, glowing amber just like his. He could see her devotion to him radiating over and over and it took his breath away. "It does." It had been so long since he had connected anyone on this level.

M'yri'ah blinked, severing the connection between them. He seemed pained when she did so. "What is it?"

Their time together had been so disappointingly brief. "I just can't believe how easily you shut it off. It was the hardest thing I had to do with M'yri'ah and our daughter." To save his life, he severed his connection to them.

It was so strange when he mentioned his wife by name. "I'm sorry, I didn't do it to be mean." She said. "It's just intense. I've never done that before."

"Don't be sorry, you are just not used to it." He blinked, letting the fog in his mind clear.

"I'm glad to know that I can do it." M'yri'ah said more to herself. She couldn't help but wish that she and her husband could have shared such a connection long ago.

"Me too." He was pleased that she had been so happy and seemed willing to try again.

She slid off his lap. "It's getting late." The days seemed to be flying by.

"I probably should go." He looked out the window. It was dark already. "I need to be somewhere in the morning and I still need to organize my things."

"The briefcase you brought over?"

"Yes." He rubbed his face sleepily. "I brought it with me from work." He hadn't wanted to stop by his apartment before visiting with M'yri'ah. He imagined it looked silly to carry such a thing while flying, but it took so long to get here he hadn't wanted to wait. "I haven't had a chance to go through it yet and it's a mess."

That didn't sound like him, sure he was a slob in his own home but at work he was immaculate. "I thought you had packed an overnight bag." She sounded disappointed.

"I don't think you have room for me on your bed." He joked, looking at her twin mattress.

"Maybe if you slept on your side..." She let her voice trail off.

It was tempting to spend the night. He supposed if he went to bed soon he could get an earlier start. He rubbed his eyes again. Maybe connecting with her had taken more out of him than he thought. "Since I'm staying, I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?"" M'yri'ah pushed him towards her bed and he didn't fight her even a little.

"The other day when we were at the construction site," He began.

She wanted to say when they were training, but she believed they had mostly played around the entire time they had been there. "Yes?"

"You aren't very strong, at least not as strong as I remembered. Why is that?" He felt her bed sag under his weight as he sat down on the edge.

"Well, not everyone had all the abilities you have, you know. At least where I come from, one of our sons could not fly and the other could not pass through objects. You were exceptionally talented." M'yri'ah explained. "You seemed to have every ability under the sun so to speak."

"Is there an ability that you don't have?" J'onn asked.

"I'm not as strong as you are obviously. I am strong for a human of course, but I can't lift up a car over my head like it's nothing." She joked. "Mostly I cheat. I use my telekinesis to move heavier objects or like when I punched a hole in your friend Saul's roof."

"I see." He rubbed his face again.

"I also can't shoot lasers from my eyes," M'yri'ah went on. "And my eyes are rather bad in general. I cannot look ahead like you can either." She pushed him back onto the bed.

"Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to share that with me." He was suddenly so tired sounding.

She shrugged. "You would have figured it out sometime."

"Maybe."

A few moments later she heard his even breathing and gentle snoring. "Goodnight J'onn." She sat on the bed next to him for a few moments and learned down to hold him for just a little while. She heard him mumble something unintelligible before pressing a kiss to her temple.

* * *

**Author's notes: I know what you are thinking, J'onn? A slob? I based J'onn being messy at home by watching the movies and cartoons. In some of the films he has an apartment or place that seems to be jacked up with folders or bottles all over the place. Pick up after yourself man, damn.**

**I remember reading somewhere (if you know tell me) that someone wanted to see a story with the Martians where they all had different abilities or were better at some things than others. It would make sense to me that maybe some were faster than others or some were stronger etc.**

**There is going to be pretty graphic things happening in the next chapter or two. At first I thought to just slap it on here but them's the rules. If you would like to read an unedited version of Chapters 7 and 8 you will need to go to my DeviantArt account. It will be under Restrictor without the S like on my fanfiction account. I'll be editing those chapters in the next few days and posting so look out for them to appear here when I can shave them down.**


	8. Upward Turn

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

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**Warning: This chapter contains mature situations. **

* * *

J'onn opened his briefcase expecting to see a sea of floating documents. Instead his papers were filed and clipped neatly together. A small letter attached read: "Next time do it yourself." He chuckled at M'yri'ah's grouchy sounding note.

M'yri'ah had put a small lunch beside his folders, a couple cucumber sandwiches and an apple. It had been a while since anyone had taken care of him even in a small way. Not since…

He absently ate his sandwiches at his desk, his colleagues bustling around with their menagerie of thoughts buffeting his mind. He closed them out for a while. His own happy little thoughts whirled through his head as he looked through his folders. He wanted to see her again tonight, but it was getting to be a bit much traveling back and forth every day with the two of them working. Maybe he should invite M'yri'ah over this weekend.

What was he doing?

He stood up abruptly, his chair making a scraping sound as he got up.

"Hey John." His partner Tom called to him, noticing how quickly he had jumped up. "Have somewhere you need to be?"

"Smoke break." Was an old line he used for years now, he really would have to think up some new material.

"Those things will kill you." Tom warned.

"I know." J'onn grumbled. Once outside he pulled out his phone and dialed M'yri'ah's number. There were a few rings and just when he thought she wasn't going to answer he heard the phone make a click sound. He heard her intake of breath before she announced who it was. "M'yri'ah?" He interrupted.

"Yes, J'onn?" She sounded genuinely surprised to hear from him. "Is there something the matter?"

He paused only a moment before continuing, trying to figure out how to ask her to his home without tipping her off. "I was wondering if you would consider coming home."

"Right now?" She asked, he imagined her looking at a clock. "But it's the middle of the day. Are you at my apartment?"

"No." Was all he offered.

"Can I meet you after work?" She wondered why he was sounding so cryptic.

"That would be fine." Although he would rather see her now he could wait.

"What's this about?" She asked. "Where would you like to meet?"

J'onn didn't know if he really wanted to ask her this over the phone. "My place."

This time she paused. "I've never been to your home J'onn." M'yri'ah said softly.

"I know." He didn't realize until now how bad that sounded. "I'll get off early and meet you at your apartment after work."

"Alright." She paused before adding. "J'onn?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

It was good to hear. "I love you too."

* * *

"Oh." J'onn startled her as soon as she stepped out of her office building. "I didn't expect you to be so prompt or waiting here for me. I thought you wanted to meet at my apartment?"

"I couldn't wait to see you." He held out his hand for M'yri'ah which she took immediately, as if she were afraid he would change his mind if she took too long. He began leading them to the train station nearby.

"Well aren't you sweet." M'yri'ah let out a contented sigh.

"You wore me down." He feigned distress.

M'yri'ah let out a good hearted laugh and he felt the edges of his own mouth begin to lift ever so slightly. "Oh good. It had to happen sometime."

He squeezed her hand so she would meet his gaze. "Thank you for making me lunch."

M'yri'ah could remember times like this long ago. J'onn had always been so good about thanking her, even for small things. "I should make you lunch more often if it will put you in such a good mood."

At her inquisitive look about where they were headed he said, "Once we leave the city we can fly off."

Oh, so he wasn't from around here? "Where do you live?"

"About six hundred and fifty miles away in Colorado." J'onn did so enjoy the surprised look on her face.

"What?" M'yri'ah stared at him, stopping them both on the sidewalk. "Are you serious?" She couldn't believe he lived so far away! "My god and you followed me around each day." She knew he could get around quickly but to go back and forth twice each day was a bit much.

"I stayed in Central City for the first month you were here." He explained. "I didn't fly back and forth."

She started walking with him again, her heels clacking on the hard ground. "So you took vacation time to stalk me."

"I was observing you." He corrected. "I didn't know who you really were."

"I didn't know you either." She admitted. "I was actually afraid of you."

"I know." He wondered. "Why?"

"Because you were always scowling at me and angry looking when you were thinking." That and you dress like a villain."

"Do I?" He allowed himself to laugh at that. "If it isn't the pot calling the kettle black, you dressed like a mummy."

"I did not." She shared in his laughter. "It's not like I picked out how that uniform looked. It sort of had a mind of its own."

"Hm." J'onn cleared his throat, his smile fading. That made the article of clothing even more disturbing. He was so glad she was rid of it.

They took the train to the outskirts of town and then soared off into the sky together when they were sure no one could see.

For most of the journey they flew together in compatible silence.

M'yri'ah took off a few times to play in the clouds before returning to his side. Hesitantly he even reached out and let his hand sift through the puffy clouds, making a white trail behind him as he went. The rush of the wind against his face felt brisk and made him feel more alive. It had been a long time since he had really enjoyed flying. J'onn supposed with M'yri'ah at his side once more, the world felt new again.

Her platinum hair blew back from her face, revealing her pointed ears. Today her eyes were as green as her skin, when she caught him staring she blinked at him, her eyes glowing a golden color. He laughed as she flew ahead, daring him to catch her.

* * *

J'onn liked that she felt comfortable enough with him to revert back to her natural form as soon as he shut the door behind them. He followed suit, towering over her.

Now that he was looking at her, she had a rather exaggerated hourglass shape and was pleasantly rounded above and below. Her legs seemed to make up half of her body and went on. She must have noticed his heated gaze. For once she didn't tease him, but instead turned her head away shyly as her face flushed.

He was about to step towards her when she drew in a breath. "So this is where you hang your hat at night."

J'onn looked around the room. "Yes." It was rather large compared to her small apartment that they met in often.

M'yri'ah stepped away from, him going deeper into the house. All the doors in the back of the house were open so she could see inside. "Hm." It was spotless.

She hadn't said anything and it made him wonder. "Does my home displease you?"

"No, you have a nice apartment." She just could hardly believe how clean it was. "Is it staged? Do you really live here?"

What a strange thing for her to say. "Why do you ask?"

"J'onn, you are complete slob." She wasn't about to mince words with him. "I cannot imagine you living here." She ran her hand across an empty table and there wasn't any dust or dirt. "Unless you've been hit on the head and had a complete personality change of course."

"I wasn't that bad." He defended.

"I used to clean up after you constantly." She rested a hand on her hip and she leveled her gaze with his. "I swear it was like walking behind a whirlwind when you came home every night." A slight smile touched her lips. "At least I knew what I was getting into. I remember seeing your… bachelor pad."

"I straightened up before you came." He admitted.

"Where is it?" She meant the mess he was hiding.

"I've managed to contain it in the hall closet." J'onn said sheepishly.

M'yri'ah eyeballed the rooms towards the back of his apartment wondering which door the mess was hiding behind. "I cannot wait to see it."

"I wouldn't recommend it." He warned dryly. "You might die in an avalanche of paper."

"What are you collecting this time?"

J'onn leaned against the kitchen counter, looking very comfortable. "Just copies of case files I've been working on, homicides mostly."

J'onn never really brought his work home with him before unless it was in the form of a story. "Are you allowed to take all those papers home?"

"Who knows?" He was so blasé she laughed at him.

"J'onn J'onzz, living in a murder mystery novel." M'yri'ah gestured grandly. "I suppose it suits you, you always did enjoy your job."

"It's something to keep myself occupied." He really didn't have anything to do once he got home anyway so he figured he might as well work.

"I see."

"What did you do then?" J'onn asked. "When you came to earth?"

"All sorts of things. I was a medic in several wars. You can't live on earth without getting tangled in a few of those. I was a nurse in peacetime. I was a seamstress, a maid, a waitress, one time I turned myself into a man so I could be a doctor before women were allowed to hold such positions." She ticked off her jobs on her fingers. "I was even an actor in a theatre once. My husband sent me to earth about five hundred years ago so I've had plenty of time to try out different things."

She certainly was all over the place as far as jobs went. "And what do you do now?"

"Oh, I'm a secretary I suppose." M'yri'ah almost rolled her eyes at how bad Wally was with his messy office. "It's my job to keep my boss's office in order. You can see the floor now that in itself is a miracle."

J'onn almost smiled at that and decided prompt her to tell him more about her time here on earth. "You've been on earth a long time."

"Yes, unfortunately." But then again maybe she had been fortunate after all. "I suppose it wasn't all bad, I had people around to talk to. You… he wasn't so lucky." M'yri'ah corrected herself. "He spent that time being marooned on Mars with a bunch of paralyzed soldiers." She shook her head. "I'm still not sure why he left them alive like that." She also wondered how on earth they managed to live in that dormant state for so long. "It seemed almost less kind to leave them the way he did rather than putting them out of their misery. And at any rate they got you in the end."

"Got me?" J'onn asked.

"Yes well, got him." M'yri'ah looked away, rushing through her next few sentences. "I felt his presence for the first time in so long. I was so excited that he had made it to earth that I rushed to see him. I didn't realize that the Imperium followed him and I believe I distracted him and..." She didn't finish.

He felt a wave of her guilt rush through him. "I see."

"After my friends and I defeated the Imperium I buried him under that rock, in the forest."

"Why there?" J'onn wondered. "You don't really seem to know Dr. Erdel."

"I don't know. It just felt like the right place." M'yri'ah often wondered that herself. She carried his body for quite a distance before deciding on a place. "Maybe I wanted him to be buried somewhere pretty, a place I thought he might like to visit." She paused before answering. "Dr. Erdel and I didn't really speak to one another. He transported me to his lab once as an experiment. It was kind of annoying. I didn't really stop to ask him any questions and just left like I did this time." She shrugged. "But I did get to see the woods around his home before I went back home. They were beautiful."

He was sorry now that his curiosity got the best of him. He really didn't want to spend time with her making her sad. "M'yri'ah?"

She perked up at his serious tone. "Yes?"

"Would you consider living here with me?" M'yri'ah looked at him as if he grew a second head. "What is it?"

She finally composed herself. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just so sudden." He seemed to have been keeping her at arm's length for the most part since she arrived even though things have gotten much friendlier between them to say the least. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You are my wife. You wouldn't be intruding."

His words made her heart twist in her chest.

He went on. "I know that you are fond of the city you live in, but Denver is nice too. Also my apartment is large enough to start a family. We can move out if it gets too crowded."

J'onn really was full of surprises today. M'yri'ah felt she must be dreaming. "You want to start a family?"

"Well yes." He said. "Unless you don't want to."

"I would, I'm just surprised." M'yri'ah shook her head absently. "What brought all this on?"

"I suppose I am tired of wasting time. I already know I've made my decision to be with you a while ago. I was just letting fear cloud my judgement." He took her hand in his. "I just don't want to be away from you any longer."

"I want that too." M'yri'ah said slowly, looking down as if in thought. "But..."

"But?" He wondered if he had waited too long now.

"But I need to break my lease and leave my job. It wouldn't do to just disappear." She finally established a new identity in this world and it would be awful to destroy it now. "You understand don't you?"

J'onn didn't really want to wait, but he felt to say otherwise would make him pretty selfish. "Of course."

"It will only be for maybe a month or so and then we can be together." M'yri'ah knew he wasn't happy about having to wait, because she wasn't either. "I can come here on the weekends and get settled in if that's alright."

At least they wouldn't be away from each other for much longer. "That would be fine."

M'yri'ah looked out of his window, there was hardly any daylight left and it would be very dark before she got home. It might be fine for J'onn to travel in the evenings and early mornings but her night vision was sorely lacking. "That being said it's getting late and I really need to head back if I am going to get any rest tonight."

"You are going back to your apartment now?" J'onn supposed he only had himself to blame. He really hadn't explained what he was up to when he asked her to come over and wanted to surprise her. Maybe she could have taken off if he had said something earlier.

She shifted her weight onto both of her legs before standing on her toes and pulling him down for a quick kiss. "Thank you for inviting me over J'onn." M'yri'ah moved towards the door and he was maybe a step behind her.

"I wish you would stay." His voice held a hint of sadness to it.

It was strange to have the tables turned on him for once. Usually it was him leaving her apartment at night, not the other way around. "I can't, I have to work in the morning." She stood on her toes again and kissed his cheek. "But I will come back this weekend if you like."

"I would like that." This time he kissed her. His arms slid around her lower back and pulled her to him.

M'yri'ah made a small sound of surprise in the back of her throat before closing her eyes and returning his enthusiastic kiss. Her arms wrapped around the back of his neck and for the moment at least it seemed she had forgotten about leaving altogether.

J'onn hands slid down to cup her rear. She gasped at his touch and he took the opportunity to deepen his kiss with her. He felt her body begin to tremble against his, her fingers mindlessly kneading the back of his neck and shoulder. He broke the kiss. "I want you." He whispered against her lips.

She looked him square in the eye when she said. "Then take what you want."

That was all the permission he needed. He dragged her body flush against his, the contrasting textures of their skin pressed together as close as possible. She really was a great kisser. She hungrily devoured his mouth before leaving a trail of nipping kisses down his neck. "M'yri'ah." She was so small he decided to lift her and deposit her on the countertop. At least she didn't have to stand on tip toe and he didn't have to lean down so far.

She took in a shuddering breath as his hands traveled up her thighs. She came up for air, twisting her head to the side. "I guess I can stay a little longer."

He kissed along her neck. "I must not be doing my job right if you are still able to talk."

"I wouldn't say that." She gasped as his fingers brushed the center of her before moving quickly upward.

He ran his tongue along a line across her breast. Her nipples began forming stiff peaks and grew dark as she became more aroused. He was pleased to see that at least that was the same. He enjoyed the contented sighs she made as he continued his ministrations on her breasts. His hand trailed down her stomach before thumbing across her maidenhood.

She let out a strangled moan. "I want you."

"And I want you, but I want to play with you more."

"You are so cruel." M'yri'ah's legs wrapped themselves around his hips and drew him closer.

"We shall see." J'onn wasn't about you to give in just yet. He pulled her legs off of him before kneeling down in front of her, letting the back of her thighs rest against his shoulders.

M'yri'ah let out a startled gasp when she felt his breath against her. She thought he really must be tall to be able to rest on his knees and still manage to reach her body. Her thoughts quickly abandoned her as he kissed her, then she felt his tongue roll over her. She let her head and back rest against the cabinets behind her. She touched him wherever she could reach, which wasn't much at the moment, his shoulders, face and hands.

He chuckled wickedly when she let out a small cry and began rocking her hips into his mouth. Her body opened up slowly to him. "Oh, J'onn. Please."

"If you are sure." J'onn grinned, standing up from his kneel on the floor. He positioned himself at her opening. It was very apparent that their size difference might become an issue as he pushed into her.

"Please." M'yri'ah let out a whine of frustration. God it had been so long since they had been together. She felt him pressing into her body at a maddeningly slow pace. When he was finally seated within her completely she let out a sound he mistook for pain and he stopped.

J'onn wondered if maybe their bodies were a little too different. "I can change into something more familiar if you like." He offered.

She supposed he meant to change himself to the way her husband looked. "No, this is fine." She reached up to caress his face. "I would like to try."

"I just want you to be comfortable."

"I know." She decided to tease him by echoing his words. "Would you like me to change into something more familiar?"

"No, no." He said a little too quickly, making her laugh breathily. "I like you the way you are." Although she was so small and delicate looking he began to worry he might hurt her unintentionally.

"Don't worry J'onn, you won't break me."

"Mm." He wasn't so sure.

"I know you worry because I look so human but I'm tougher than I look. You know this." She pushed her hips into his. "Please, I need you."

Maybe he should let her control the pace. Then he wouldn't have to worry about hurting her. He could see her threshold. "Then take what you want." He echoed her words from earlier.

That was all the invitation she needed. She pushed him away from her and hopped down from the counter. She then pushed him to the hard kitchen floor. He was a little surprised she didn't lead him to the bed or living room but he didn't mind. It was kind of exciting this way.

Her mouth came down on his as she straddled him. Her body was eager and ready to receive him as she slid down him. She broke the kiss before impaling herself on him. All her movements were smooth and well-practiced. She seemed to know what she liked and wasn't shy or embarrassed about it.

Dear gods, his body was formed in such a way that no matter how she rocked against him he rubbed her just the right way. "You feel so good." She shuddered.

"I can tell." J'onn breathed. M'yri'ah was trying to stall, trying to draw their pleasure out but it wasn't working. It had been too long. He only needed to brush his fingers across that mass of nerves between her legs and she was lost. He wasn't too far behind, grabbing her hips and having his release within her as well.

Her body seemed to melt into his, her soft skin filled in the hard lines of his stomach and chest as she fell forward onto him.

J'onn stroked her shuddering body as her breathing returned to normal. "I love you."

"You do?" She panted, tracing the lines of muscle on his stomach.

J'onn laughed at her playful tone. "Of course, I can't help myself."

"I love you too." She lifted herself up on him. "I want you again." She didn't wait for his reply before she began rocking her hips back and forth.

It was nice to be wanted he decided. This time her pace wasn't so hurried, patiently waiting while his body became aroused once more. He focused on the roll of her hips and stomach muscles as she maneuvered back and forth, grinding on him. She took his hands to steady herself on top of him.

She seems to be completely unaware of the sweet sounds she was making or even the volume in which she uttered her noises. Every time he surged his hips up into her she let out a startled cry.

J'onn growled his frustration. He loved watching her much softer body move over him and shake with pleasure but she was so slow and deliberate. She was driving him insane. He rocked his hips into her thrusts, meeting her. He freed up one of her hands, keeping one for leverage. His free hand gripped her hip and guided her steady rhythm.

M'yri'ah's breathing became shallower and her body began quivering the closer she came. He was ready for her when her body was seized in pleasure. She let out a strangled sigh as he tugged her hips up and down on him. Her neck snapped back as she let out a guttural moan.

Only once she began breathing again did he roll her underneath him. He kept hold of her hips, never once exiting her body. She panted softly in his ear as he blindly pinned her hands to the floor with his own. "My turn." She whimpered at his words and he began thrusting into her. He found her sweet spot and he felt her body tighten again. He let his ego take over for a moment, wanting to force her to come underneath him once more before he took his pleasure. Her head twisted back and forth as she lost control. Her whimpering cries turned into a scream as she arched her body into his.

M'yri'ah whined as he withdrew from her. She woke up from the sexual fog that had consumed her only moments ago to find him carrying her into her room.

There wasn't anything very tender about him at the moment. J'onn practically dumped her on the mattress. She used her feet to propel herself towards the center of bed. She didn't have to wait long as he advanced on her retreating form. His hand shot out and grabbed her ankle, dragging her underneath him. He pulled her legs up until her feet were just over his shoulders. He had no issues sliding back into her.

"Your turn?" She purred.

J'onn responded by pumping into her body hard and fast.

She honestly had no idea what had gotten into her. She had never been a stranger to her husband's love making and she always found pleasure in it but it was like this particular version of him could just force her to orgasm. "Oh J'onn..."

J'onn felt pleasure flow through him as she uttered his name. "Together." He urged her, releasing her legs from his shoulders and lowering himself over her. He wanted to be closer to her.

"Hurry." She couldn't stand it much longer. Her legs wrapped around his middle and she began tilting her hips to meet his.

"You're mine." He growled, bowing his body up so he could nip at her neck.

She turned her head to give him better access and she felt his sharp teeth graze her flesh but not pierce. "Yes." She agreed.

"Tell me." He demanded.

"I'm yours." She whimpered.

A spike of white hot pleasure shot through him, he buried his face into the comforter beside her head and groaned. "And I am yours." He nearly collapsed on her, but managed at the last moment to keep the majority of his weight in his elbows. He chose to stay over her for now, enjoying the way her body continued to throb underneath him.

M'yri'ah stroked his back and neck. "I can't move." She panted finally.

He bit into the soft skin of her neck, tasting the salt from her sweat. "I can." What was that expression? He felt like he could run a marathon?

M'yri'ah glanced at the clock on his nightstand and saw how late it was. It had felt like such a short time but they had been at it for hours it seemed. "I guess I'm not going home tonight." Even if she left now she wasn't sure she would make it in time for work.

"I'm sorry." But his expression and tone told her he wasn't sorry at all.

"I'll bet you are." She quipped. "When I get in trouble for skipping work, I'm blaming you."

"I guess I'll just have to endure it." J'onn lifted himself over her again.

"Again?" She half laughed half moaned, pressing herself into him. "You are going to kill me."

"I thought you said you couldn't move." He teased.

"I suppose I can be wrong from time to time."

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**Author's notes: Yeah, I edited this although you probably couldn't tell. If you want the completely unedited version please check out my deviantart site. My name is Restrictor there. **

**I love substituting words out and making it sound more like a trashy romance novel than an erotic fiction (hehe). I doubt I edited this down enough though so I'm a little worried. I will probably go back through here and try to shave out more of the language and actions if needed. I'm definitely hoping I don't get banned for it. So if you do see something you like and suddenly find it missing on this chapter you can at least go to my deviantart page is all else fails.**

**The next chapter has been edited much better than this one. Although I'm pretty sure not many people will want to read the edited parts.**


	9. Downward Spiral

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

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**Warning: This chapter contains mature language, violence and sexual themes. This chapter has only been edited to remove some of the darker situations that might make my readers feel uncomfortable. For an unedited version of this story please go to my Restrictor deviantart page.**

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Weeks went by and M'yri'ah's apartment once again looked rather empty. She gave her table and chairs back to Wally. The only piece of furniture she had left was her bed in the corner of the room.

She couldn't help but thank God she was in a corner apartment and Wally had told her he was going to pull an all-nighter or he would be getting an earful right about now.

It was the end of another weekend and J'onn was going to have to leave soon, although with great reluctance.

Since their initial joining they could hardly keep their hands off each other. Even now she was sitting astride his lap, rocking back and forth. They were covered in sweat, loose strands of her hair stuck to her forehead and his skin. Their eyes glowed an amber color in the darkness. They both felt each other's pleasure, climbing higher and higher until with one last trembling breath they climaxed.

J'onn stroked her body as their breathing went back to normal. His fingers were dull and human like in his hero form rather than the sharper pointed hands she was used to, but it was nice.

They had been so excited they initially forgot to change but then decided to give this form a try. This way their size difference wasn't so glaring and they could accomplish interesting positions they couldn't try before. He could even kiss her while they were joined together without distorting himself.

M'yri'ah felt the swell of love he felt for her when he saw her face and she reflected it back at him. She thought maybe there was something to this mind link thing after all.

"You see?" J'onn teased.

"It's not so bad." She admitted with a laugh.

"I'm afraid I need to go." He kissed her neck. "Maybe I can visit sometime this week." Just one more weekend and she would be completely his.

"Must you go?"

"Yes, unfortunately. I do have to work." J'onn almost laughed when she didn't release him right away. "Well, if you are really torn up about it, you could always just move in with me today and we can see each other tonight."

"Is that why you came?" M'yri'ah placed her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat for a moment more. "To tempt me to move up my timeline?"

"It couldn't hurt." He sighed. "But I also came because I cannot get enough of you."

It really was getting hard to stay away from him like this. "Well, I just might have to take you up on your offer." Maybe she would give him his surprise tonight instead of waiting.

J'onn didn't put much faith in it. She had made a promise to stay at her job until the end of the week after all. Still, it would be nice if she visited him at his apartment later. "You should try to get some rest." He placed a final kiss on her lips before they parted. M'yri'ah stretched her body out across the bed as he got up to let himself out.

"I love you." She said sleepily.

"I loved you too." J'onn stood up, the small bed creaked with relief when his weight was off it. "I'll see you soon M'yri'ah." When she didn't reply, he realized she had already dropped off sleep. He let himself out quietly, walking through the door instead of opening it.

* * *

A knock came at her door not even a half hour later. It was a heavy and patient knock, but insistent. She woke up groggily and looked at the time. She wondered why J'onn didn't just come in to the apartment. She threw her legs off the side of the bed and put on a short dress to meet him at the door. "Did you forget something?" She asked, pulling the door open only to find Wilbur on the other side. "Oh, Wally it's you." She practically dragged him into the apartment. He must be tired after such a long night, she knew she was. "Please come in. I'll make you some coffee."

"I haven't seen you around much Mi." He laughed at how exhausted she seemed.

"I know." M'yri'ah rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, I need to show you something." He took her hand. "It's in my place. You'll just die."

"Right now?" She allowed him to lead her into his apartment. "Wait, I need to lock my door."

"It'll just take a sec and you'll be back." He brushed her concern off. He opened the door and let her lead the way. "See?"

"Oh," She said softly, her voice wavering. There were lit candles everywhere. On the windows, walls, the counters, littering the floor. When Wilbur shut the door behind him there were even sconces hanging from the back of the door.

"Aren't they pretty?" He was staring at her oddly, his fingers reaching for the lock and giving it a final click.

"Wally? What is this?" She wondered if he thought this was romantic. Honestly, it was just terrifying to be so close to so much open flame and he still hadn't moved much of the paper and odds and ends he kept around either. It was pretty much a death trap.

"What do you mean?" He moved closer to her.

M'yri'ah wanted to take a step back but she wasn't sure if she could do it without bumping into a candle. "I thought I told you about J'onn and myself."

He still had such a sweet unassuming look on his face that it was difficult for her to read him. "I know. I just thought I would throw you a going away party."

"That's nice." She said nervously. "Could we maybe do it without so many candles?"

"I heard you." He said, getting rather close to her. "With him earlier."

Oh God, she thought he had been at work the whole time. "Oh, I'm sorry about that." Her face turned red from embarrassment.

"I'm not." Wally purred, he was practically standing on top of her now and she quite literally had nowhere else to retreat to.

M'yri'ah started looking around nervously. "I guess I should probably go." She was starting to wonder if he was going to let her leave here.

"No, it's alright." He grinned wickedly. He ran a finger along her arm, causing her to jump at the sudden contact.

"Wally, why are you acting this way?" Her voice was tight.

One of his large hands went around her middle, pulling her close while his other hand grabbed her arm, squeezing it roughly enough to draw a pained cry out of her. Her brain still couldn't seem to click and make sense of what he was doing. Her body was frozen on the spot.

"Wally..." She tried moving his hands off of her when he seized down on her wrists with his large hand. His fist found his way into her gut, hard enough to knock the wind out of her before she felt his hand clamp down across her nose and mouth, making it difficult to breath. She pulled her hands towards her stomach and trembled with shock. What was he doing?

"Oh Mi, you have always been such a trusting fool." Wilbur said in a voice that wasn't his own.

Fear gripped her as his facade fell away to reveal her brother-in-law, Ma'alefa'ak. She made a choking sound. Wasn't he dead? How on earth was he even here?

"Surprise!" Ma'alefa'ak said in Wilbur's sing-song voice, moving his hand from her face to her throat.

"Where is Wally?" She croaked, he had such a vice like grip around her wrists she couldn't prevent him from choking her.

Ma'alefa'ak looked at her as if she truly was an idiot. "I am Wally." He had a chuckle at her devastated face. "Didn't you think it odd that I looked and sounded just like your most trusted friend?"

None of this made any sense to her. He couldn't be Wally. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Why not?" He pushed her onto the ground easily. Unlike her, he could still command his full strength in the presence of fire.

M'yri'ah gasped, just realizing now how many candles were on the floor beside her. Her face and hair were so dangerously close to a flame she almost dare not move her head for fear of setting herself on fire. She felt him release her hands, but rather than striking out at him they went automatically to her neck to relieve the pressure he was placing on her windpipe.

"I had such brilliant plans for you my love." His fingers trailed up into her skirt and she made a horrified sound when his hand rested against her. "When you first arrived I only meant for J'onn to become entangled with you so I could take you away from him again. He always blames himself you see, for not being able to protect you." He produced a knife, seemingly out of nowhere. She had been so focused on his face before she hadn't seen him pull it out. It looked very much like one of the knives he had given her so long ago. "Then when he spurned your affections… and we had gotten so close I thought how sweet it would have been if you had come to me instead." He paused to enjoy the look on her face. "This works well though. I'll have my fun, then burn you and this building to the ground."

"Are you done talking?" She growled at him, realizing that her shocked whimpering was only fueling him. He didn't much care for her bravery. "You are boring me to death."

Ma'alefa'ak chuckled, he was going to make her regret that. "You are right my love. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

M'yri'ah shuddered in horror as she felt the blade of his knife scrape against her skin. She could heal from any cuts he inflicted upon her, but that didn't mean it felt good to be hurt. She also knew this wasn't going to be the end of what he had planned for her.

A sudden plan came to the forefront of her mind. He couldn't read her thoughts and believed her a weak idiot, maybe he wouldn't know if she tried tricking him.

He saw her eyes start fluttering like she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen, her straining body going slack underneath him. She felt his grip on her throat loosen; cruel enough to want her awake for the horrors he planned for her. He leaned down slightly to get a good look at her face to see if she was indeed aware of her surroundings. Her head came up quick, cracking his nose with her forehead.

Ma'alefa'ak grabbed his face and cursed angrily.

She flipped onto her stomach and wormed her way out from under him. The door didn't quite have as many candles around it. Maybe she could lay flat and could leave that way. Suddenly her head was being jerked backwards. She grabbed out for anything to use against him, only to snatch up a lit candle.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ma'alefa'ak laughed at her. He had grabbed a fist full of her hair, dragging her back against him.

Ma'alefa'ak became keenly aware of a burning smell. When he looked down he realized she had set his cape on fire with the candle she had been holding. He panicked, he might not be as vulnerable to fire as M'yri'ah or J'onn but he was a living thing and no one liked to be burned. He let go of her and flapped the fire on his cloak out, unintentionally blowing out a section of candles in the room. By the time he extinguished himself he saw that she was gone.

The swish of his cape put out enough of the candles so she could sink through the wall to her apartment. She managed to snatch up her cell phone, intending to call J'onn as soon as she could get out in the open. Ma'alefa'ak was hot on her heels, she was two steps away from the widow when she felt herself being dragged back again. She let out a curse and kicked out blindly, only managing to knock over the dishes in the drying rack on the counter.

He captured her around the neck again. "You little bitch!" He grated. "I cannot believe I was going to show you mercy!"

Mercy? M'yri'ah would laugh at that if she could. She dialed J'onn and dropped the phone, needing her hands to fight him off. She hoped just a ring would be enough to summon him back. If not she was on her own. She shot her elbow into his ribs over and over again until she heard a cracking sound and he released her.

His fist slammed so hard into her jaw that she felt something snap and blood filled her mouth. His foot came down on the phone she dropped a moment before, breaking it into pieces. "There goes that plan." He twisted his foot, the glass making a crunching sound. He came at her again, landing a swift uppercut to her jawline.

M'yri'ah used the momentum from his blow to propel herself out of the building. She couldn't risk him dragging her back into his room and leaving her nearly defenseless. She still felt tired from being trapped in that room with all that fire. After phasing through the wall she flew as fast as she could across the city skyline. She tried to make her way out of town and away from any civilians. She didn't doubt for a second that he would kill anyone in his way.

When she passed the last building she looked behind her and saw nothing. Did she outrun him? She heard a noise just above her head and she looked up in horror to see he was keeping up with her quite easily.

"Hello my dear." Ma'alefa'ak cupped his hands together and brought them over his head.

M'yri'ah closed her eyes and braced herself. It took only a moment and she felt his arms hammering down on her back, sending her sprawling into the dirt below. She rolled out of the way right as he brought his fist down where she had landed.

"Why don't you make this easy on yourself?" Ma'alefa'ak said silkily, getting up and advancing on her. "Just give up and I promise I'll make it quick… and you won't feel anything when you die."

"Never!" Merely trying to slip away wasn't doing much good. He seemed to be able to anticipate where she was trying to escape to. She was so panicked that she didn't realize she was broadcasting her next move before she even made it.

"I was hoping you would say that."

She brought her arms up defensively when he released what felt like a hurricane of blows down on her, growing extra limbs to pummel her more than he could with just two.

"It'll just make my victory over you sweeter." He grunted when her fist broke through his attack and into his stomach, and then she landed another blow right below his eye. "You aren't the weakling I remember." He complimented.

"Thanks." She panted.

"But you still aren't going to win." He reminded.

She bared her teeth at him, they were stained with blood. "We'll see."

"Yes we will."

"We will." She repeated.

"You truly are funny M'yri'ah." He laughed at how ridiculous their back and forth was. "I shall miss you."

"I won't miss you." She grew more arms herself to defend herself against his onslaught. She managed to land a few punches on his mouth and chest before everything went black.

His hand closed over her face and sent the back of her head into the ground. Ma'alefa'ak retracted his extra limbs when he saw that her own melted away. He imagined that she was just stunned. It took her a moment to flip over onto her stomach, and when she did he swung his boot into her ribs, sending her rolling in the dirt.

M'yri'ah stood up only to have him kick her legs out from under her. She struck out at his feet as he stepped up to her, unfortunately that tripped him on top of her.

"Well, hello." He said as she punched his nose. He could feel his blood run freely over his mouth and chin. "That wasn't very nice." He decided to return the favor, watching her head snap back and he hit her in the face over and over. When she brought her arms up this time he caught them easily pinning them over her head. She was beginning to weaken. He shivered, anticipating that the battle was over and he was about to win.

She seemed to find a second wind, but he held her trembling limbs down with ease. She desperately launched her elbow out, catching his cheek.

"Aren't you tired M'yri'ah?" He asked, only when he was sure he had her immobilized. "Why don't you just close your eyes? It will be just like falling asleep."

A sob hit the back of her throat before she could quell it. She was going to die, but the hardest part was that she wasn't going to get to see J'onn ever again. Looking back now, she just wished she had agreed to stay with him in Colorado a few weeks ago and to hell with everything else. She hoped he wouldn't be too sad when she was gone.

M'yri'ah felt like she was outside of herself when Ma'alefa'ak blocked out the sun with his looming body. She would fight him to her last breath. His knees were on either side of her thighs so she kicked up with all the strength she had left. He let out a satisfying yelp of pain.

He hammered his fist into her face in retaliation, knocking her out. Screw it. He was done playing with her. He just wanted this to be over with. He sealed his hand over her mouth and nose and waited for her to die.

Ma'alefa'ak felt the high collar around his neck go taut across his face as he was pulled backwards.

"What have you done?" J'onn looked down at M'yri'ah's prone body for only a second, at least relieved to see that she was breathing.

Ma'alefa'ak cackled at his brother's timing. Taking advantage of J'onn's momentary distraction, he swatted his brother across his cheek, securing his release. "Always a little too late to save the day, aren't you brother?" He backed up a safe distance, it never did well to get in tight quarters with J'onn during a fight.

J'onn began to shake with rage, taking a step towards him. "I swore I killed you."

"I wouldn't know." Ma'alefa'ak shrugged.

It took J'onn a moment to realize that Ma'alefa'ak was in his true form and was looking quite human. He was from M'yri'ah's world.

"You really should pick your friends better J'onn." Ma'alefa'ak backed up as J'onn approached. "That idiot friend of yours, Saul is it?" A slow smile spread across his face. "That device of his is quite genius."

Ma'alefa'ak brother didn't seem to be in any rush to face off with him, too busy gabbing on about how he arrived first, how he brainwashed Dr. Erdel into believing him to be a friend and then to bring M'yri'ah here from his own universe just to mess with his brother's head once more. How after this he would be returning home. J'onn really wasn't listening, more focused on M'yri'ah and her injuries. He saw her eyes move behind her lids as she regained consciousness.

Ma'alefa'ak sure liked to gloat, at least this version of him. In fact, he was so happy to reveal his plans that he hadn't noticed M'yri'ah had stood up behind him. By the time he realized something was amiss she punched him in the back of the head so hard he tumbled forward.

"Just shut up already!" M'yri'ah couldn't believe there was ever a time that she felt bad for this bastard. How many times had she let him manipulate her? How many times had she tried in vain for this lost cause to reunite with his brother? Even at the cost of her own marriage? And he repaid her by tricking her in such an unimaginably cruel way before he tried to murder her. She felt so horribly betrayed that she couldn't put words to it.

J'onn had seen M'yri'ah angry before, but he had never seen nor expected to see her in such a blind rage in all his life. Her eyes were glowing an angry red color. A stunned Ma'alefa'ak didn't have much of a chance against her as she entered his mind, momentarily blanking it out.

After M'yri'ah's anger cooled she realized what she had done. She looked down at his brother in horror. Feeling such guilt for using her abilities in such a way against any living thing, even someone as vile as Ma'alefa'ak.

"Please don't feel bad." J'onn soothed. Having had to use that trick on many a foe before, he believed it was more of a mercy to knock someone out than to beat them within an inch of their life. "You've only stunned him."

M'yri'ah didn't answer him, continuing to stare down at the unconscious man. J'onn was assaulted as all the memories of what happened came flooding into her mind.

Her poor face sported bluish contusions and a busted lip. Her left eye was a darker red from blood spilling into it. Among her bruises, he saw an almost perfect handprint on her arm where his brother grabbed her. Although it seemed to be taking her longer to heal at least the swelling was gone and the discoloration on her skin was fading.

"You did well." He said finally.

"Thank you."

He knew she wasn't, but he still had to ask. "Are you alright?"

"Just a little banged up but I'm okay." She was rubbing blood off her face. "I guess I needed your help after all." She was starting to feel a little useless needing so much rescuing.

"I've needed others to help many times before." J'onn reminded. "So has Clark, if you will recall. That's why we have friends M'yri'ah."

"True." That did make her feel a little better.

Ma'alefa'ak let out a howl of rage, waking up from his stupor earlier than expected. Not to be denied he tossed something at them, or rather her specifically.

M'yri'ah let out a startled gasp as the object struck her. She felt an odd sensation zag up her body. She felt almost of weightlessness and then she realized her body was disintegrating before her very eyes. Her hands looked like they were glowing embers that were floating away on the breeze.

She knew nothing but terror as she met J'onn's horrified gaze and then all she saw was a flash of light.

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**Author's notes: Do you know who's name I hate spelling out the most? Ma'alefa'ak. **

**Anyone else love his clothes? He has so many belts and chains he's like a Final Fantasy character. From all the DC bad guys he seems to be one of the most unredeemable and starting to become a favorite. I might have to try to draw him at some point. I saw that he was in the JL Doom movie... I must watch it.**

**I tried giving away that there was something wrong with Wally this whole time without it being too terribly obvious. Acting nervous etc, but I kind of have a feeling I didn't make it obvious enough. Or maybe I did? Damn writing is hard.**

**I decided to keep the love scene in the front intact. It wasn't very detailed so I didn't see a reason to change it. I just decided to remove the more horrible things that ****Ma'alefa'ak did to her even though it would be in character for him to do something like that. I am not very nice to my characters at all. I believe it can be pretty jarring to go from something very sweet to well... that. Is it bad that I actually like this version of my story better?**


	10. Acceptance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

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The horrible sensation lifted and M'yri'ah found herself still outside Central City, but J'onn and Ma'alefa'ak were nowhere to be seen.

The disturbance from her arrival must have caused quite a commotion because people were gathering to gawk at her. M'yri'ah was about to leave when she felt herself being lifted up behind the back and knees and traveling at great speed away from the crowds. Whoever was holding her skidded to a halt and practically dumped her onto the ground. She caught her footing just before she fell on her rear end.

Wally's freckled face suddenly appeared before her. "Mimi!" The man had already pulled back his red mask and yelled excitedly.

She screamed and punched him square in the nose.

"Owww! Whhyyy?!" He wailed, clutching his face. "Damn it Mimi."

"Wally?" It was starting to dawn on her what had happened. Was she back home?

"Who did you think it was?" There were tears in Wally's eyes from the pain, not to mention the blood trickling out of his nose.

"Oh God, Wally. I'm so sorry." M'yri'ah tried pinching his nose to stem the flow of blood but it only made him yelp. She jerked her hand away before she did any more damage.

"Forget about me. Come here." Forgotten was the pain. Wally gathered her up and held her for a while. "I've missed you Mimi." He gave her a hard squeeze for good measure. "I knew you weren't dead. I just knew it."

"Why did you run off like that?" Diana scolded from above, her body went from facing down to righting herself upward to land near her friend. She was carrying Batman under her arm. She placed her human cargo down before touching the ground herself. "We came all this way for your celebration and you leave in the middle of it."

Clark brought up the rear, seeming to notice M'yri'ah right away but kept averting his gaze, looking rather embarrassed.

M'yri'ah felt herself being turned around in an almost show-and-tell like fashion.

"Look who it is!" Wally couldn't contain his excitement. "I told you."

"M'yri'ah!" Diana, threw herself almost like a child into M'yri'ah's arms. "You're alright." She squeezed her tight. "I'm so glad, I'm so glad." She backed away to get a good look at her green friend. Her smile faltered for a moment when she saw the almost healed bruises on her face and the dried blood that was flaking off the surface of her skin. In all the years she had known her she never actually saw M'yri'ah purpled like this before.

"What happened to you Mimi?" Wally asked. "Where have you been?"

M'yri'ah hardly knew what to tell them. She opened her mouth several times but the words just wouldn't come out.

Bruce hadn't said anything yet. Everyone in all their excitement didn't seem to notice her state of her undress. He wordlessly took his cape off and draped it over her shoulders.

M'yri'ah was embarrassed that he even had to do that. She believed she should have put clothes on herself a long time ago; she had just been so excited to see everyone. "Sorry."

Batman continued to say nothing and just wordlessly stared at her.

"Don't let him fool you." Clark clapped her on the shoulder, more comfortable now that she had the cape around her shoulders. "Batman was really worried. He and Flash never gave up looking for you."

Bruce growled softly at that, but admitted, "It's good to see you."

So he did care after all. M'yri'ah thought warmly. "It's good to see you too Bruce."

Bruce also looked like he wanted to ask her what happened, but he knew enough from the looks of her that it was nothing good. "Maybe you should go home for a while." He suggested. "Flash, you should probably head back before you are missed."

"Oh yeah." Wally pulled his mask back over his head. "It's Flash Appreciation Day. Mimi, you should come."

"I think Bruce is right." Diana reminded her friend in red. "It looks like M'yri'ah could use some rest." At Wally's crestfallen look Diana reminded him. "She can come next year."

"Of course." M'yri'ah agreed.

"I can't wait to tell GL and Hawkgirl." With a final pat on her arm, Wally went back to his celebration party.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea." Diana said more to herself before looking at M'yri'ah once more. "Please take care of yourself. We must catch up later."

So much had happened within just the last few minutes M'yri'ah was beginning to feel overwhelmed. "Whenever you have time."

Dianah was about to lift Bruce again, but he held up his hand to let her know he would be staying for a moment more and she could go ahead of him.

M'yri'ah donned her human guise, complete with a new dress. "Thank you for lending me this." She handed Bruce his cape back. He attached it to his cowl again with a flourish. She was just about to leave herself when he put up his arm.

"Wait." He stopped her. "Here." He pulled something out from his belt and kept it hidden in his fist for her to take. She held out her hand and he let something small drop into her palm. It was a communicator. "You are still one of us." He said with a finality. "Get some rest." He left to join the others. He noticed that Clark was waiting his turn patiently, seeming to wait for everyone to leave. So he gave them the privacy he was seeking.

"Hey M'yri'ah." Clark said to her when he was sure no one else could hear but the two of them. "You know right?" He asked vaguely. He knew she probably did, but he wanted to be sure. He could hear two strong little heart beats just below her own.

"Yes." Said softly.

He looked so conflicted, not sure whether to be happy for her or not.

"It's a good thing Clark." She clarified for him. His shoulders relaxed as she said that.

"Congratulations then." He finally took his turn hugging her, more gently than he usually did. "I'm happy you are alive."

"Me too." She said in a joking manner.

"I can't wait until you tell everyone." Clark went on excitedly. "And you can come to my house every year for Christmas. Ma and Pa would love to have you and the babies there since I've not given them any grandkids." He often wondered if he would some day.

M'yri'ah was amused at his enthusiasm. "Thank you Clark, but it's a little early for that I think."

If he counted the days right she should have her children by next Christmas unless it took longer. "How long will it be until they are here?"

"Around two and a half years." Martians lived much longer than humans, so they developed much more slowly as children.

"Oh." Clark said nervously.

"Yeah, it's no picnic." She laughed at the face he made. She remembered being so jealous when she found out human women were pregnant for less than a year.

"I'll let you go then, so you can go back home." He let his arm slide off her shoulder, and watched as she took to the air.

* * *

M'yri'ah listened to Wally through the walls in their apartment. He was singing a funny little tune in the shower. She heard him afterwards walking swiftly around his kitchen and hallways, the floor creaked under his weight. He was probably cleaning up.

Good old Wally.

She wondered what happened to J'onn after she appeared in this world. What did he do with his brother? Did he even know she was alive?

Would she ever get to see him again?

Tears fell silently down her face and onto her pillow. She didn't even get to tell J'onn that he was going to be a father again. It was still so early, but she wanted to tell him after she moved in as a surprise.

Twins again. She sighed to herself, rubbing her hand over her flat stomach. Her thoughts went to her sons. She wondered what these two would be like. Would it be boys like before? Maybe girls instead or one of each?

Maybe J'onn knew already about them and simply was waiting for her to tell him.

If he thought she was dead though, she doubted that knowing she was pregnant would have been any comfort to him.

M'yri'ah jumped when a sharp knock sounded on the wall next to her head. She hadn't heard that in a long while. It was Wally completing his nighttime rituals before he went to sleep. "Night Mimi." His voice was muffled through the wall, but she could hear it just fine.

"Goodnight Wally." She took in a breath to calm herself.

She knew she should be grateful for being alive, being reunited with her friends, having a roof over her head. She was even going to be a mother. She could hardly believe it. She should be grateful she could spend even a second more with J'onn after losing him. Who else could say that after their spouse died?

But heaven help her, she would miss him. She felt more hot tears roll down her face and she couldn't seem to stem the flow. Her shoulders began to shake.

She knew… she just knew she would never see him again.

* * *

M'yri'ah at Wally's insistence told him everything that had happened, even following up to the way she left. Wally, for once in his short life was completely speechless. For about thirty seconds. "Ewwww." He groaned. "Oh god, I could have lived without hearing that."

"I told you, you didn't want to know you silly boy." She admonished.

"Is it weird with us now?" He wondered. "I mean, he did that… with my face."

"No, I know who you are Wally." M'yri'ah assured him. "I don't know if you knew this, but he and my husband were identical twins, so they look and sound exactly the same when they are in their true forms." She drummed her fingers against the table. How strange that they looked so similar but they turned out so different.

"That must make things awkward."

"Not really, I always knew who J'onn was, even if someone else looked just like him." M'yri'ah wanted to make sure Wally knew she was alright. "Believe me, what happened the other day is not the worst thing that's ever happened to me by far." She remembered a time during the war when she and J'onn had been captured and tortured for days before they escaped. What her brother in law had done was nothing in comparison. "I'll be alright."

"Still, gross." He changed the subject. "So J'onn is out there somewhere. I wonder if you can get back to him."

"I don't know. We haven't really developed anything to jump to other worlds have we?" M'yri'ah let a puff of air between her teeth. "Mostly it's just other people coming here asking for help isn't it?"

"True." Wally thought out loud. "You know, in every world we've visited it seems like Lex or Bruce are always the ones making those portals. Maybe you can talk to one of them." Bruce preferably. "Oh hey maybe even that Erdel guy might help you?"

"I don't know if he will." M'yri'ah fretted. "I frightened him the last time I saw him." She shrugged. "But it won't hurt to see."

* * *

The Justice League threw a party for M'yri'ah's return from the supposed grave. She managed to put it off for six months but they weren't going to take no for an answer any longer. She either submitted to it now or they would probably find a way to trick her to show up. Some of the younger members even offered to kidnap her for the occasion. So off she went.

Truth be told, she was happy to see everyone but not used to being the center of attention. For the most part, to her relief, everyone mingled among themselves and ate the refreshments provided, so they weren't ganging up on her all at once. She did however have a steady stream of well-wishers.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." The Green Lantern, John Stewart strolled up to her with a drink in his hand. He lifted his glass as if to raise a cheer to her. "Wally told me what you've been up to. What an adventure." Obviously he left a few things out, thank goodness.

M'yri'ah nodded. "Yes."

"Congratulations by the way." John Stewart leaned forward and gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I've heard about your good news." He seemed to look up suddenly from her face to a point just beyond her shoulder.

M'yri'ah looked behind her to see Wally trying to shush John before he said too much. He stopped as soon as she saw what he was doing and tried to look like he was deep in thought. Her eyes narrowed in on Wally. She was going to have to kick him now.

"I guess I wasn't supposed to know." John apologized.

"It's alright." M'yri'ah sighed, irritation plain in her voice. "I should be used to everyone knowing my business by now. Thank you John."

"Any time. I know a few people who can't wait for you to get back up here permanently. It's just not the same." He paused for a moment before adding awkwardly. "Shayera sends her regards." Someone had to still work today and she volunteered to let him come to the party.

M'yri'ha was glad that John and Shayera seemed to patch up their friendship in her absence, yet it still looked like things were strained between the two of them.

"Hey Mimi," M'yri'ah felt herself being turned around, the Flash grabbing her shoulder. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I know you are a blabber mouth." M'yri'ah stirred her drink absently. "You are forgiven this time." She wondered how much longer she would need to stay. She felt like she had been a good sport staying for several hours already and was starting to feel tired.

Wally hadn't missed her body language. "You look like you are ready to go."

"You have no idea."

"Well, you are free to leave. Mandatory part is officially over." Flash made an exaggerated bow towards the teleporters. After he made an embarrassing announcement to everyone about her leaving he led her to the exit. "The ladies say they are going to throw you a shower in a year or so. You know, whenever you start getting really fat." At least he said that last bit in a much softer voice.

So he told more than just a few people. What was that about her getting fat? "I take it back, you are not forgiven. Ever."

"I know, I know." Wally chuckled, half expecting her to punch him. He even cringed when she walked past. "See you later Mimi. I have something to tell you after I get back to my apartment."

"I can't wait." M'yri'ah grumbled, but sighed with relief when she jumped on a transporter pad. She couldn't wait to go home.

* * *

How familiar this was? She was making coffee for someone yet again. She was beginning to feel like a barista. Still, she didn't want to go back to Wally's apartment. She could differentiate between Wally and her brother-in-law but his living room haunted her now with the thought of hundreds of candles scattered around.

"Hey Mimi, you remember that girl I met before you went missing?"

"Of course."

"Well," Wally looked pretty pleased with himself. "She has agreed to marry all this." He gestured to his body.

M'yri'ah stared at him for a moment before bursting out a sound of congratulations.

"I knew you would be happy." Wally laughed. "We are going to move in together in a month."

"Really?" M'yri'ah asked. "When is she moving in?"

Wally seemed nervous, like he didn't want to tell her what he was going to next. "Yeah well, she would like me to move into her apartment. Ours aren't the nicest you know. You can hear everything. It makes it kind of difficult to be intimate."

No one knew that more than her. "I see."

"Are you going to be okay?" Wally asked. "With me moving?"

M'yri'ah snapped out of it. "Of course Wally. You need to be happy too." She was excited for him, really. She could hardly believe that him of all people were ready to settle down.

"Really?"

"I'll be fine." She nodded her head, trying to convince herself. "Maybe I should find a new place to live myself. Like you said, we don't live in the nicest place ever."

"It is so convenient though."

J'onn had described her location in just that way once. "It is."

* * *

**Author's notes: I know the story is already all but finished, but please feel free to leave me feedback. If there is a plot hole or if something doesn't make sense I'd much rather go back and rewrite a whole chapter than leave it looking like confusing garbage for years. I also tend to break character sometimes so if you see something glaring please let me know. I always like to know what people did or didn't like about my story**


	11. Hope

**Disclaimer: I do not own Martian Manhunter or any DC character. I have not now nor ever will make any money from their use in my fiction.**

* * *

It had been a year and a half since she came back to her own world and she wasn't any closer to finding Dr. Saul Erdel than when she first arrived.

M'yri'ah hit yet another snag. Not that she even knew where to start. After that lab and his cabin in the woods it's like he dropped off the face of the earth. She couldn't find an obituary or anything. She couldn't believe how difficult it was to track someone down. How on earth did J'onn do it all the time?

She hated to call on him, but she ran out of options. She picked up her cell and dialed the only friend she thought could help. She could hear him pick up the phone. "Bruce, hello."

"Go ahead."

Despite her embarrassment about not being able to do this on her own and her earlier reluctance to call she knew she couldn't wait any longer. "I need your help."

He made a sound of acknowledgement. "Wally said you might be calling soon."

She really needed to stop telling Wally anything.

"What do you need?" Bruce urged her to continue.

"I'm trying to find a man named Dr. Saul Erdel. All I have is a twenty year old address and the name of a book he wrote called "Are we Alone?"" She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I visited where his old lab was located in Colorado, but it's completely gone now." It was bulldozed over and a small cluster of businesses were placed over the foundation.

"I thought you would be good at this sort of thing. Finding people." There was some noise going on in the background. She imagined he was typing up something on his computer.

"That's not really my specialty." She hadn't been the detective, that had been her husband's job.

"I found a newer address." He said dispassionately. "I'll send you all the information I have."

"That was quick." She wondered why she didn't call on him sooner. "Thank you."

"Going alone?" Bruce asked.

It was tempting to bring him along just in case she found herself at a loss. "I wouldn't mind some company."

He was quiet for a moment. "You know what? Sure." His voice took on a lighter tone, the one he used for his public persona. "I need to get out anyway and make a public appearance. If you don't mind being seen with me."

Bruce was seen as something of a ladies man. "I don't mind." She had hung on his arm many a time before. She had helped with several of his cases in the past, posing as a different woman each time. He even brought Dianah a few times. He loathed to admit when he needed help, but he was starting to get better in his middle age to ask for assistance when needed.

"I'll have my private jet on the runway in an hour." She could hear him standing up, probably to get ready for the trip. "I'll send you the address of the hotel we will meet at."

Finally things were progressing. "Meet you there."

* * *

"Hello Bruce." M'yri'ah was waiting at the bar for him. She was drinking something that looked like alcohol but he knew better.

Bruce was a little surprised to see her in prefered human form. Her hair was dark brown with green eyes. Usually M'yri'ah changed it up more than that. She was wearing a black dress to slim herself down some but she was obviously pregnant when he saw her from the side. He sat down next to her.

At his questioning look and thoughts she knew he was wondering why she didn't try to look much different. "Sorry, what you see is what you get." She half apologized. "I can't do much about the way I look." Her body was already starting to lose it's flexibility and the ability to change except in superficial ways due to her pregnancy. It was her body's way of protecting her children from sudden growth or stretching that might injure them. She was going to be very vulnerable soon and she was going to be a liability.

"It's alright, it's not important." He didn't quite want that much attention but he supposed it would keep people distracted to think he was meeting with a pregnant girlfriend. "Let's head up to the room."

* * *

The two of them were sitting side by side at a desk, his laptop glowing on its surface. Bruce showed her different places on the map where they would be heading that day. "Saul's building burned down about a decade ago." He said, pointing. "That's the last place you had an address from."

She nodded. "That's about when he drew me to his lab."

"You were on earth weren't you?" Bruce asked curiously. "And yet Dr. Erdel has always used it to pull Martians from Mars."

"Well yes, I suppose so." That's what J'onn told her.

He frowned at that. "It's a little strange don't you think that he knew to find you on earth?"

"I'm not sure I'm following you." The man just had an unhealthy obsession with Martians, did it matter where they came from?

Bruce looked away from her then as if thinking to himself. He clasped his hands together, letting his elbows rest on the surface of the desk. "He obviously didn't bring your husband J'onn here with his machine decades ago."

How wonderful would that have been? "You think he brought someone else?" She was starting to wonder now. "Like my brother in law?"

"It would make sense wouldn't it?" Bruce wondered. "If Ma'alefa'ak knew about you, maybe he was trying to bring you to the lab."

She hadn't really stuck around very long when Dr. Erdel brought her to his lab so she hadn't really paid attention. The machine caught fire and she left in the confusion. "So maybe Ma'alefa'ak rebuilt it and sent himself to J'onn's world?" M'yri'ah shrugged. "Its nothing but a bunch of guessing. I doubt we'll ever know what really happened." Not unless Ma'alefa'ak darkened their doorstep again and volunteered the information himself.

"Probably not." Bruce thought on it for a moment. "But the answers to those questions might become apartment soon enough. If Ma'alefa'ak used the Martian tech to send himself to another universe he might have stolen it from Dr. Erdel. Saul might not even have the portal anymore."

"Or Saul from J'onn's universe brought him there for some reason." M'yri'ah reasoned.

"I'm not sure." Bruce said, his arms lowering on the table. "Saul knew J'onn in that world so I'd hazard to guess that he might have told him about his brother."

He did have a point. "True."

Bruce pointed to another place on the map. "Saul bought some land here." It was once again far out into the middle of nowhere. "It looks like he was going to build a house, he purchased a lot of materials. After that he just sort of fades off."

It was good to have a friend that could find all this information out. M'yri'ah would have been lost. "Do you think he went off the grid?"

Bruce wasn't too sure about that. "I suppose he might of. He's a bit of a nut."

"Aren't we all?"

"There is a chance you know, that he's not alive." Bruce reminded, trying to prepare her mentally. "There's also a chance he doesn't have the device anymore."

"I know, but I have to try." She could still hope that maybe there was a chance to see J'onn again.

"Then let's go."

* * *

Bruce insisted they go by car to Saul's final address rather than letting her fly them. She felt it was a waste of resources but to each his own.

The road was rather rough. Saul had obviously put out gravel to make the drive to his home easier but nature was taking it back with a vengeance. She supposed that if he had gone off the grid like she suspected he wouldn't be using a vehicle. "If we bounce around anymore I'm going to be sick." She knew she shouldn't complain but she thought she would prepare Bruce to stop in case she needed to get out.

"Sorry." He said in that deadpan way of his. "It's a few more minutes and we should see his house."

"Or not." There was an unfinished home in the clearing. Bruce stopped the car just as the gravel ended.

The two of them paused before getting out of the car, he gave her a look that told her to get ready for the worst.

"Hello!" M'yri'ah called as she shut the car door behind her. There was nothing but the sound of birds in the distance, and even they fell silent as Bruce and she made their way to the dilapidated structure.

It didn't take long to find him, next to a rusted table saw were old human remains, some bones were missing of course where the carrion animals had found him.

"I wonder what happened to him." M'yri'ah gasped.

"He might have just had a heart attack and died." Bruce said. He could have also been attacked by a wild animal but he didn't feel like sharing that with her right now.

There were no other bodies around that she could see. "It looks like he was trying to build this place himself."

"He probably was." It would explain why he was still out here.

"So it really was a dead end after all." The disappointment was plain in her voice. "If only I had called you sooner."

"From the look of things he's been dead for years M'yri'ah." Bruce corrected her. He knew all about feeling guilty about things he couldn't change. "He was dead long before you went to visit your husband."

"I see." She wasn't going to give up yet. "I want to check inside."

"Lead the way." Bruce just followed along with her, letting her piece together what happened. Maybe she could gain some closer from this.

Inside there were a few comforts. A bed, table, chairs, food forgotten years ago sat on the table, long since dried up or eaten by bugs. There was a stain stretched across the floor that she couldn't place, like something had been dragged. Maybe an animal had gotten to him and took him outside.

"What this?" Bruce called from behind.

She hadn't seen it at first, but on the nightstand was a dagger embedded in its surface. It was rusted over with blood.

"Look familiar?" Bruce didn't pull it out but looked at it closely.

"It looks like mine, but I gave my daggers to J'onn." Then she realized what had happened. Ma'alefa'ak had given her those daggers. Of course he would have one that looked similar. "Oh god." She covered her face with her hands, that poor man.

"I think I found the machine." Bruce brought her attention back to the task at hand. "It's outside." He pointed to a window. Sure enough, there was that machine that brought her to Saul's lab.

When they made their way outside it began looking even more grim. It had been attached to a once working generator. The machine was burnt and broken into unusable fragments, as if had been used but this time but caught fire, and no one had been left to extinguish it. There was no way to build something out of this husk.

"I guess that's it then." M'yri'ah sighed heavily, letting everything she saw sink in.

"I'm sorry." Bruce sounded sincere. He lead her back to the car and opened her door for her before getting in himself. He was glad he insisted on driving them. She didn't need to be transporting them around when the last bit of her hope was dashed. "M'yri'ah," He began slowly, starting the car. "I know how much your husband meant to you. I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

She felt a lecture coming on and she was preparing herself. "I know."

"But, unlike me, I think you'll need to let it go." Bruce paused before adding. "You haven't been looking well."

"I'm pregnant." She reminded.

"Which is why you need to let it go." He said. "You look thinner than normal. I don't know exactly everything about Martians but I don't think that's a good thing. I know you wouldn't forgive yourself if you got sick."

He was right. She wouldn't forgive herself if she hurt her children by not taking care of herself.

"Dianah and I have been talking." He said after a moment of silence.

"Oh?" By his tone she could tell she wasn't going to like what was going to come next.

"We thought you might want to move. Maybe somewhere that someone can keep an eye on you."

"Are you asking me to live in the Watchtower?" She had done that for a while, it had been one of the reasons she had taken a sabbatical to begin with.

"Since Wally moved." Bruce went on, "Without him there we don't know what you're up to."

"You do not have to keep tabs on me." She frowned.

"Of course not. We just don't want you to…" He searched for the right words. "Fade away." So they were afraid she was going to disappear. She was very good at that, she couldn't blame them.

"I was wondering if you felt comfortable either living with Dianah or myself."

She was getting all sorts of invitations recently. "You cannot be serious."

"I thought you might feel more comfortable with Dianah, but if you wanted to stay out in the modern world you could stay in my home. There is lots of room and I'm hardly there anymore. Alfred would be happy to have children to look after again since the boys have grown up."

"I wouldn't say Damien is grown." That boy gave her the creeps sometimes. "I don't know how he'll take to having more kids in the house to take up his father's time. He's also," She paused, hating to insult someone else's child. "Very angry."

"Yes well," When Damien wasn't being reserved he was given to anger. He didn't take offence. "Maybe your children will rub off on him."

M'yr'ah suppressed a shudder at his choice of words.

"My home is so big that I doubt you'll even bump into each other unless you want to."

"I appreciate your offer." She let her voice trail off.

Bruce knew she would decline."Dianah loves you and would do anything for you. And I would do anything for her."

Meaning he was offering to make Dianah happy. "I know. That is very kind for the both of you to offer. I think I'll find my own home though, Bruce." She added. "You do not have to worry, I'm not going anywhere. Once the children are born and settled I'll start helping again and you will all see more of me."

That seemed to put him more at ease. "I suppose we should head back to the hotel."

"I might stay for a couple more days actually." M'yri'ah cast a final glance at the unfinished cabin.

"Oh?"

"I have a few things I'd like to take care of."

"I'm afraid I'll need to head back to Gotham." He put the car into gear and began their long trip back. "But feel free to stay at the hotel until you are ready to go home."

M'yri'ah nodded more to herself than anything. She was upset, yes, but at least she knew now that there was nothing more she could do. "Bruce?"

"Yes?" He kept his eyes forward as he wound the car over the swerving gravel road.

"Thank you, for everything." She looked at his profile as he drove them away. "You are a good friend."

* * *

After Bruce said his goodbyes she was left alone in the hotel with her thoughts. She took out the stationary provided on the desk and began writing.

God, it had been over a year since she wrote J'onn a letter. Not since she arrived in the other world. She stared down at the paper on the table and she couldn't think of what she wanted to say. There was so much that happened. Something like:

I love you. I met someone else and he is you actually. And I lost him just like you. I wish he were here. I wish we were still together. I wish..

It was nothing but a bunch of I wish. I wish. I wish.

She crunched the paper up and tossed it in the trash. That wasn't a very good letter to write her husband at all. He wasn't who she was writing to. Well he was… ah universe travel was so confusing. She started again, this time writing to the J'onn that she left behind but was having the same problem as the first letter.

J'onn,

I wish I could see you again. I wish that you could see our children being born. Part of me expects you to walk through the front door and everything will be okay again.

I love you. I miss you. I hope that you are alright.

It wasn't Shakespeare, as the saying goes, but it was how she felt. She signed her name and stuffed it in an envelope.

M'yri'ah wondered where she should leave this letter. Certainly not on her husband's grave. It was strange, how she thought of them as two separate people.

M'yri'ah only now realized that she was able to let go of her husband. The one from this world. The one she loved for centuries. She still loved loved him but he was dead and gone and she finally accepted it.

And now she was having to go through the grieving process all over again.

Maybe she should leave her letter by J'onn's apartment door in Denver.

She perked up at that. His apartment! Surely it was there, like her home was in his world. It seemed like a step backward but maybe she should move in there if it was available.

* * *

M'yri'ah placed the letter standing up and leaning against the doorframe. She then stood in front of the the door that would have been J'onn's apartment if he lived in this world. A little over a year and a half ago she was supposed to move in with him.

She would have to add that to her list of regrets.

As if on cue her children began squirming inside her, reminding her she would not be alone this time. They were still too small to be felt on the outside, but their brief fluttering gave her comfort.

M'yri'ah was about to leave when the door of the apartment swung open. She almost choked out in surprise.

"Oh, hello." A deep, slightly confused voice boomed overhead. She paused to stare up at Detective John Jones. He wore a navy blue suit and tie, with a sunny yellow shirt. He looked a little older than when J'onn impersonated him. He had a few gray hairs salting through his temples. Perhaps he did travel to the past in another world? Time travel on top of being sent to another universe. Hm.

He really did look like a human version of J'onn, truth be told. That and the similarity of their names. It was uncanny.

John seemed just as surprised to see her at his door as she was to see him. "Can I help you miss?"

She shook her head, realizing she had just been staring at him silently. The poor man, he must think some loon found her way to his doorstep.

"Are you alright?" His face showed genuine concern. "Are you in trouble?"

Even his voice was the same, it really did seem cruel. She had a sick feeling in her stomach, she wished she hadn't come here now. "No, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong house." M'yri'ah turned to leave. She just wanted to go back to her apartment.

"I see." He seemed like he was about to let her go but when he saw the letter on the ground he thought better of it. "Wait." Then she took off. He let out a frustrated sigh then gave chase. "Hey!" He shouted after her. "Wait!"

M'yri'ah made it to the open stairwell before heading into the sky and transfiguring her body into her hero form, she looked back at the man below.

Only when he kicked off the ground, transformed and began to soar after her did she hault. "M'yri'ah! Wait!" He nearly crashed into her she stopped so quickly. He seemed so pleased to see her. "I almost didn't recognize you." He grasped her hand, intending to pull her into him.

She twisted away from him. This wasn't possible. How on earth did he get here, in this apartment? In this time? How long had he been here?

He of course heard all her questions in his mind. "I had Saul send me here." J'onn answered her out loud, knowing she prefered verbal communication.

Rather than continuing to question his authenticity she felt for his mind. It was him. "J'onn!" She flew into him and buried her face into his neck.

"M'yri'ah." He said in his soft voice, his usually placid face was brimming with emotion. He held onto her so tightly, she wondered if he ever meant to let go. He could feel the concern from the civilians below. They didn't really understand what two super hero types were doing up in the sky over the city unless they were being protected from something sinister. It might cause a panic if they remained too long. "We should go somewhere more private."

She pushed away from him. "You are probably right."

J'onn took her hand and she felt both of their bodies go intangible. He pulled her with him until they were back at his home, pulling the door closed behind them.

M'yri'ah looked around. It looked almost the same as when she left the other world. It was pretty obvious he did not just arrive. Unless he was a quick decorator. "Have you been here this whole time?" Even before she left? Why on earth did he wait so long to reveal himself?

"I've lived here for about twenty years or so." He explained. "I took over Jones's life when he was a young man." After he had been killed by his partner Morgan.

"Oh." Was all she could think to say.

"You hadn't met me yet." J'onn said plainly. "I had no idea when you left this world to visit me and I suppose I overcompensated and went too far into the past. I saw you on the news when you first helped the Justice League with the Imperium and then I waited for your letters to stop coming and hoped you would return." He didn't know what would happen if he had showed up too soon into her life. He wasn't the most experienced world or time traveler.

From Ma'alefa'ak's memories, J'onn gleaned that his brother thought he would kill M'yri'ah and return to his own world. He assumed Ma'alefa'ak had to have a way of returning quick and easily. The portal in Dr. Erdel's lab hadn't been completely repaired and at the time only went one way. J'onn didn't believe his brother would show his hand without having his escape route secured. His plans had gone awry though. He knew with J'onn there, killing M'yri'ah would have been nearly impossible, so he did the next best thing… send his brother's wife away where he couldn't get to her. Or so he thought. "I really didn't know what my brother did to you, but I was hoping this was the case."

So he had only come here on a hunch that she was still alive. She wondered out loud, "What did you do with him, your brother?"

By the expression on her husband's face she guessed that she probably didn't want to know.

"Wait, my letters?" Her face became a mask of confusion.

"The ones you left at the grave." He explained.

Oh god, all those letters she ever wrote to J'onn after he died. She always assumed they had blown away by the wind, not that someone was going out and getting them.

"I know they were not really meant for me, but it helped to read them when I couldn't be with you." He kept them all in his nightstand and read them most evenings when he got home. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." She was glad someone read them, and he was in fact her intended audience in a way. "But that leads me to wonder… were spying on me again?"

Here we go. "Well, yes." He didn't want to lie. This time he had been very careful not to get caught. "Are you mad?"

"Not this time." She had such a tender expression on her face. "I missed you more than anything."

He smiled, she was getting soft on him. "I missed you too."

M'yri'ah wondered if he ever did find out about the babies before she left. As soon as she thought it J'onn looked down at her belly. He had been so happy to see her he hadn't realized her stomach was looking fuller. She felt such warm emotion radiating from him just then.

"May I?" J'onn's face became very serious. He placed his hand on her gently rounded stomach after she nodded her consent. He could hear their crude and happy thoughts humming in his mind. "It didn't take us very long did it? To make them." They had only been together physically for a little over a month before she had disappeared. At the time he worried that maybe the two of them were too old for children, or that maybe they were too different to conceive.

"No, it didn't take long at all."

He couldn't believe he was going to be a father again. He thought that time had passed centuries ago when he lost his only child to the plague. "I cannot wait to meet them."

"Me either."

Oh yes, before he got ahead of himself he still needed to ask. "M'yri'ah?" He removed his hand from her stomach and took her hand in his.

"Yes?"

"I know you have your apartment again, but I was wondering if you please come home today. I've been waiting for you for such a long time."

"Yes." She wasn't going to wait this time. "There's nothing I want more." It was really starting to sink in, he was here. This wasn't some dream.

He ran the back of hand across her cheek. "I sure would like to kiss you."

She felt herself both crying and laughing at the same time before replying. "Then why don't you?" And he did just that.

* * *

**Author's long boring notes: It always bugged me when someone develops a skill set when they didn't have it before which is why I made M'yri'ah have difficulty tracking Erdel down. In this story I tried to make M'yri'ah her own person rather than making her into a girl version of J'onn and I hope I succeeded. **

**I also tried to make sure I didn't make J'onn look like an idiot – which happens sometimes in the comics. I tried keeping his brother away from him until the very end so he couldn't tell who it was. I also tried not to have J'onn stay suspicious of her too long (he can read minds for goodness sake) but have his hesitance be a result of their differences in worlds and not just have him jump to accept her immediately as I've seen happen in the past.**

**I'm writing the next story now to continue this one. It will be more of an adventure I think instead of a family oriented piece that I originally thought I would do. **

**Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave feedback if you have any.**


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